Life.13: Heir of Rating Games

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"Psst!" Her cat ears rotated with a quick, sudden movement at the minimal noise, but she remained asleep, "Psst! You there?! Earth to Kuroka, do you copy?"

Her eyes stayed tight shut, but her brows collapsed into a frown. Kuroka shifted around the coach and grabbed the nearest pillow her fingers could touch.

She used the cushion to cover her ears, "Shut up, stupid ape…" she mewled out quietly and slowly drifted back to her dreams.

Or that was the plan until a magical staff bonked the top of her head.

"N-Nyaa?!" she almost fell off headfirst from the sofa if it wasn't for her feline instincts acting up at the last second. She sat cross-legged on the floor, grabbing her head to relieve the pain.

"Wakey-wakey, little kitty. Time to hop off the rainbow of dreamland!" Kuroka glared through her black bangs at the culprit.

To her ever-growing frustration, it had to be the fellow Youkai of the Vali Team—Bikou Sun Wukong. He was crouching atop the border of the sofa with a presumptuous smirk that made her urges to punch him square in the face flare-up.

At this point, why was she even surprised. It was a dead giveaway anyway. Who else lacked the manners to treat a woman correctly? Either him or their leader.

The Monkey King gave her a peace sign, "Yo," he casually dodged the pillow infused by Touki with a tilt of his head. "Not a morning person?"

"That hurt a lot, you idiot!" The teary-eyed bombshell snapped.

Bikou snorted and leaned his staff against his shoulder, "What a drama queen. I didn't hit you that hard—the pillow sponged half the impact!" how his lips jolted to as he stiffed a vulgar laugh made her snarl under her breath.

A quarrel between Youkais almost sparked if it wasn't by the intervention of a third party, "I am partly to blame," a gentlemanly voice said, "I permitted Bikou to awaken you. It never crossed my mind that he would pull a malicious approach like this one."

Kuroka shot Arthur a look, "You can't be serious. How else did you expect him to wake me up? Playfully tickle me awake with a feather?"

"With common sense," Arthur replied, offering a saving hand.

"There's no common sense in that meathead—let alone a working brain," she accepted the help and left the floor, "Only cobwebs and dust."

"Yeah. Keep those stones comin'. Take cover behind your glasshouse," Bikou scoffed at her, "You're too short to talk. All that brain juice sucked up by your galactic-sized honkers."

"I-I can heal you if your head still hurts, Lady Kuroka!" Le Fay offered, already edging closer with hands surrounded by white magic.

"It's fine," Kuroka grumbled, dusting off her black kimono. "Just a dull headache. Nothing that a bit of Senjutsu won't fix, nya."

"Kuroka is awake. Good," the Nekoshou just noticed the silver-haired was here the whole time, leaning on a wall. He looked to each member of his group and nodded with satisfaction. "Then we can proceed."

"Proceed what, leader?" Kuroka doubted this was anything related to the baby-making session that she kept bothering him about. The lack of privacy was a nod to her statement.

"Since the dissolution of the Old Satan Faction, we have remained hidden in the shadows. This resulted in us missing out on a lot of things," The White Dragon Emperor pushed himself off the wall and aimed the remote control in her direction. "Take a look."

As the TV restored to life, she wheeled around. The programs were constantly getting switched out, not even giving them a single chance before jumping to the next genre.

But finally, the search came to an end. Vali stopped massacring the controller and switch it to a channel that had an audience looking entirely at a small group of people.

It was a conference.

"Look!" Le Fay pointed to the screen, "It's Lord Danhauser!"

Aaaaand her interest was gone. "False alarm then!" she collapsed back to the sofa, like a log after a hopeless fight against the lumberjack. "Wake me up if anything interesting happens."

"I'm shocked you haven't seen it yet." Arthur leaned to the television while adjusting his glasses, "It's something that deserves your undivided attention."

The Nekoshou didn't show any signs of cooperation. She kept her eyes shut, she kept her dumb smile and she kept her cheek snuggled on the cushion, "Huh-huh, I bet it does…" she tried to—unsuccessfully—stifle a yawn, "let's talk about it tomorrow, nya."

"Wait, Arthur is actually onto something!" the wide-eyed Bikou exclaimed, "Kuroka! Isn't that your lil' sister?!"

Her eyes shot open, and she vaulted off the sofa like a cat after getting its paws wet in a puddle. She hurriedly joined the small circle of her teammates gaping at the video. "What? Why?! When?! Nya?!"

"This happened during Ars Goetia," Vali answered casually, "these are just the highlights for those who couldn't watch the broadcast live. It happened three days ago."

Kuroka didn't pay any heed to the confident speech that the crimson-haired heiress was providing to all listeners. Instead, she stayed fixated on the servants sitting behind the redhead—on the white-haired rook.

"Shirone…"

"But why were Lord Danhauser and Lady Rias on television?" Le Fay felt a light bulb shining at the top of her witch hat. She looked over her brother for confirmation, "It's exactly what father planned for you before we left home, right? Their respective households are betrothing them?"

"It could be," Arthur didn't want to jump to conclusions, though, "but I have an odd feeling that it isn't the case here."

"There won't be any wedding," Vali pocketed his hands, "but rather, a rating game between them."

"Wait, wait! I think this rings a bell, actually," Bikou brought a hand under his chin before snapping his fingers, "The Youth Gathering! That's the name! This is what the fuss is all about, yeah?"

"Not anymore. The Youth Gathering was canceled after the Vatican Invasion," Vali explained, "This is a new festivity called Anti-Satan Faction Day. All heirs and heiress are playing as a way to celebrate the downfall of the Old Satan Faction."

"Wait, what? Then why'd we never get invited?!" Bikou gestured to himself, "I mean, hello?! It's thanks to us they got wiped out in the first place!"

"Technically, it was Satan Lucifer that erased them," Arthur retorted.

"But we pulled 'em out of their hideout!" Bikou shot back, "we made them expose themselves! They were the mouse, we were the trap!"

Kuroka looked over her shoulder, "Hey, leader. Why are you invested in this stuff? Wanna see Danny in action?"

"My rival will be fighting under the leadership of Rias Gremory," Vali pointed out, his sights fixated on a certain brunet, "This match will be the perfect opportunity to roughly calculate his potential and strength. I want to see him fare against the members of the Belial Team."

Arthur hummed, "You believe there's a risk that Danhauser may lose this rating game?"

"Danhauser Belial is in a different league in terms of abilities. We still have yet to fight once again after our last one, but he's one of the few people who could force me into using Juggernaut Drive. Ikuse Tobio is troublesome as well," Vali replied with a fearless chuckle.

"Can't get in your head, man. Didn't ya mention that meeting the Sekiryuutei was a complete letdown?" Bikou tapped his magic staff on his shoulder, "something about his lineage being too normal and an average joe at best? Why suddenly give the kid another chance?"

"Because depending on the results, I will arrange a change of plans."

"Yeah…" Bikou scratched his head with a long sigh, "You still haven't told us what these plans exactly are, though…"

"In due time," was the cryptic response of the silver-haired half-devil.

"You keep saying that, but can we at least get a hint?" the Monkey King kept pushing, "We're a team, right?"

The Lucifer glared in his direction. "In due time."

"Alright, alright! I get it!" The Monkey King brought his hands up defensively, "I shouldn't stick my nose where it doesn't belong. Sure. Got it."

Kuroka briefly side-glanced at them before returning her attention to the show.

[Prince Danhauser, Princess Rias,] their attention returned to the interview, [Any last words you want to say before we end the seminar?]

Rias immediately faced her first adversary, [The Gremory Group is looking forward to learning anything from this match! Let's give our best, Danhauser!]

The gray-haired smiled in return, [Get ready, Rias. Use the next days to whip into shape because I'm not holding back any punches at all.]

Satisfied by their answers, the interviewer signaled to the center of the stage, [Please take your positions!]

They left their seats, walking where they were ordered to, and faced one another.

The fighters were inches apart, staring into each other's eyes intently.

The height difference between them was evident, but the redhead didn't back away.

The press and fans gawked. Photos were taken, and posturing ensued.

Kuroka curved an eyebrow at the display, "What are these two doing? They gonna tongue kiss in front of the cameras or what?"

Bikou deadpanned at her, "You haven't seen any box matches before?"

"Uhh…" Kuroka squinted her eyes, making memory. A bulb illuminated her head afterward, "Ooh! That one…! The one where two boys wear tight singlets and grope each other on the floor?"

"That's wrestling! And they ain't groping, those are gripping techniques! Note the difference!"

"Could've fooled me."

"Why your ma had to drop you on your head when you were a baby…" irritated, the Monkey Youkai rubbed his face, "That's a staredown. They're ramping up the theatrics to hype up their upcoming match."

"It's a marketing tactic," Arthur supplied, "They call it showmanship."

"That sounds stupid."

Bikou shrugged, "It ain't stupid if it works."

Rolling her eyes, Kuroka faced the TV again, her expression softening once they landed over her stoic sister.

She was a little squirt back then. A lovable furball.

Hah. Aside from her chest, she grew a lot since that day.

"Shirone… smile more. You won't be popular with boys that way…"

The television flicked off, and the screen went black, cutting the narration off mid-sentence, the stoic expression of her sister still engraved in her mind. Kuroka was now met with her own reflection on the dead screen, "When's the match?" she immediately asked.

"In a few days," was his response. She could feel his expectant, cold gaze burning at the back of her neck, but didn't say another word.

Her shoulder slumped in defeat, followed by an unladylike groan, "Fine," Kuroka sniffed a little, "I've been aching for popcorn anyway."

.


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Danhauser sat on a bench, laying his arms over his knees as he concentrated on the television hanging on the wall. It showed a pair of sports commentators displaying the characteristics, servants, and other small details of the competitors—Rias and himself.

He didn't recall this ever occurring when he had his match against Raiser years ago, but maybe that was because it wasn't considered a "real" Rating Game and was instead just a ticket to graduation from school.

Then again, the Rating Game System had been through intense upgrades over time with the help of the Rating Game Committee and Satan Beelzebub every so often.

Instead of praising the variety that was added to the Rating Games, Danhauser focused on one of the commentators, and his brows sank into a scowl.

Naud Gamigin. The ruler of all Marquises. The man that made Zekram Bael himself frightened.

"I don't like this," Danhauser said, more to himself than to the present company of his peerage, "of all available broadcasters, he has to narrate our first game?"

He clearly understood why Lord Bael couldn't keep Naud out of this; it'd ruin the image of the Great King for "censoring" the biggest media of Ars Goetia.

All journalists had the right to pick a game they wanted to narrate, but why choose his? Why didn't Naud go to the match Ruval had a day ago? The latter was part of his faction - he could've easily made the audience root for the Strongest Heir.

Danhauser couldn't wipe the sour taste that intensified in his mouth every time he stopped at the professional smile of Naud.

[So many similarities with today's competitors! Both have incomplete peerages, both are younger siblings of well-recognized figures and their first Rating Game was against Prince Raiser Phenex!]

[A perfect observation, Lord Gamigin!] the second commentator praised him, [But the audience needs to know… between these two, who caught your eye the most?]

[Please call me Naud on television!] Naud exclaimed, [And my heart goes to Prince Danhauser Belial, of course!]

"Shit," Danhauser groaned out, "So much about staying off his radar."

[After his first match, he hasn't played another game! Even after declaring war on the Top Ten! He just… disappeared! Keeping the whole Underworld in suspense!]

[That explains the enthusiasm in the stadium today! Everyone is sitting at the edges of their seats, Naud!]

[And let's not forget that all entrance tickets for this fight were sold out days ago!]

Both commentators shared a laugh.

[Lord Naud, is the Belial Team powerful enough to defeat the Top Ten? Will they triumph over every opponent of this tournament, including the Strongest Heir?]

[We will find out after this short break! Stay tuned!] Naud did some exaggerated swirls with his arm before pointing at the camera, [RRRRRROLL THE COMMERCIALS!]

Once the commercials took over the screen, he aimed with the remote control and muted the blaring box to study his surroundings without distractions. It was a changing room similar to a football club or from those that competed in the sport of boxing. His servants were there as well, waiting.

Rias and her peerage were in a room identical to theirs, but at the other end of the stadium.

Danhauser was shocked when Lord Bael told him that Rias was his first opponent in the tournament. Of all people, it had to be the main heroine of the series.

Was this because of Lord Bael's raging hate boner over Clan Gremory? It was an open secret that Clan Bael detested the Duke because a few members inherited the Power of Destruction. It wouldn't be shocking if they framed Venelana as a traitor.

It was canon all over again. With how many people saw the fight between Bael and Gremory as political tension between the Great King and the Satans it had to be—mostly Sirzechs.

Maybe the rumor wouldn't spread now that Sairaorg won't fight against his cousin.

His field of vision got consumed by the familiar figure of his Pawn, "Here," he looked upon the Holy Grail tangled around her fingers, "Drink it."

Danhauser blinked owlishly at the offer and met her orbs, "What for?"

"By drinking this, you'll be immune to light-based attacks and get a regenerative healing factor," her gaze softened, "more importantly, it will keep you safe. Your chances of dying will lower significantly."

The normal Sephiroth Graal technically couldn't do any of that. But because of her birth, Valerie's Sacred Gear changed like Siegfried's Twice Critical—it was a subspecies. As such, it had more outstanding aspects than previous possessors.

As an example, Valerie could help Siegfried out with his duality between his Dragon-Type Sacred Gear and Dragon-Slayer Sword.

And to prove his point, he watched in the background Siegfried grabbing the Demonic Sword Gram with his Twice Critical. The silver-haired man didn't show any physical signs of pain, "Amazing… to think I can wield my greatest ally and enemy with my Sacred Gear and suffer no consequences…"

Tobio with extreme cautiousness poked the tip of his scythe on his thumb, watching how the wound was instantly healed, "Regeneration," he hummed and discarded his weapon, "this will be handy."

"Yeah," Jeanne wiped her mouth with her arm. She looked inside the Holy Chalice to see if anything remained yet, "That was tasty! What was it, Valerie?"

"The blood of my victims."

Jeanne looked horrified as she backed up a little bit.

"Ehehehe. That was a joke."

Tobio eyed her carefully just as Jeanne breathed a sigh of relief, "Yeah, sure. A joke."

"I'm not drinking any of that, Little Missus," Danhauser eventually replied.

The Dhampir chuckled, "I was merely jesting," she insisted, "the beverage inside Sephiroth Graal always has the flavor of your most preferred brew."

"That explains why mine tasted as beer served on a mug," Siegfried realized, licking his lips.

"Sake here," Tobio supplied.

"Soda!" Jeanne chirped.

"I'm still not doing it," the grey-haired still declined.

Valerie frowned at his refusal. "Danhauser, nothing wrong will happen to me," she assured him, shifting her Longinus nearer at him, encouraging him to hold it, "You're not the only one who trained intensively. I'm stronger than before."

"I know that." He placed a hand atop her wrist and gently pushed her Sacred Gear aside. "But… I can't."

Valerie had her eyes wide, "Why?"

His mouth opened to reply, but his mind settled elsewhere. It recited the time he and Vali were surrounded by remaining troops of the Old Satan Faction led by Shalba and Katerea. They could've died there if the Crimson Satan didn't appear.

What if… a word that kept orbiting over his head every time he recalled that event.

And as much as he wanted to bury these thoughts into the void, they always found their way to the surface.

What if the plan had failed and Sirzechs couldn't make it in time, though? That the Old Satan had to make them fight for their lives with both Vali and himself making it out alive?

To feel his body getting sore, hear his heart racing…

But what did that have to do with the conversation at hand?

"Danhauser?"

"Right," he kneaded his eyes, "… I just put so much effort into my training, and to suddenly go after the easy route… leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Not fond of getting my body invaded and altered either, not even by you Little Missus."

Then again, it was the best move to accept her offer. After dying in his real world, he sure as hell would like to avoid that.

But it rubbed him the wrong way. As if he was Frankenstein's monster. He sort of wished Valerie never used her Grail on him either.

"Huh," he hummed to himself, "I guess I'm growing dumber."

"Have you forgotten about your wings?"

"That was one time, Valerie. There won't be a second one."

"Good," Bova spoke up, followed by a nod of approval, "I knew I made the right call by following your lead."

"I guess you didn't drink a toast either," the heir noted.

"Like hell I'd do that," Bova seemed offended by the implication, "What do you take me for? I don't need any of that crap."

"You two are being ridiculous," Valerie huffed, dismissing her Longinus, "Neither of you is acting rationally right now. Instead, both of you are babbling atop your high horse."

"Bosshauser gets it. As much as all of us wanted to reunite, we all came to realize that we needed to get stronger on our own. We spent four years apart to train and grow stronger for our next reunion… and you want us to suddenly throw away all our progress by drinking from that damned grail?" the Dragon snarled out, "Don't fuck with me…!"

"Bova," Siegfried's voice lacked emotion, "it may cost your life."

"Then I'll die," Bova simply said, "I'd rather die as a dragon than someone's lab rat."

"Woah, Woah! Remember the fight is against the Gremory Team, not between us!" Tobio quickly jumped in before everything went south, "It's not like we need any augmentations to win this tournament anyway, or am I wrong?"

Of course not. They didn't need any of that for the Rating Games. Like Bova had mentioned—they'd been training for years for this day to happen.

"You can say that again!" Jeanne threw a few punches to the air. "Let's show everyone what we're made of!"

A sudden knock and everyone looked as the door opened to reveal a beautiful woman with light-blue hair.

The Son of Tannin lightened up like a Christmas tree, "Granny!"

"Bova," Tiamat's lips curled upward as the purple dragon stopped in front of her. She gently patted his snout and in return, he leaned in her palm.

"Heh!" he half-laughed and half-purred at her tender touch. "You're here to watch our first match, granny?"

"Of course. It's my job to keep a close eye over the Rating Games in case if someone pulls an underhanded move," that pleasant smile that lasted only seconds was replaced by a stoic face, "We meet again, Danhauser Belial. How is she? Has she caused any trouble?"

It only took him a split second to understand who Tiamat was referring to. "Aside from her stubbornness, nothing much. She still has yet to accommodate to her new settings—this is a new world to her after all," he then recalled the exchange he had with Ingvild, "I know a way for her to accept her new life, but I'll need your help for that."

"Hmph. We'll discuss that subject at another time," Tiamat turned to the door in which she entered, "I brought someone who wanted to talk with you. She said you know her."

His eyebrow went up but that quickly changed to a look of utter shock after seeing a certain blonde, Twelve-Tailed Fox moving inside, "Y-Yasaka?"

The Daiyoukai scowled, "So casually calling me by my first name now, Prince Belial? For someone who has spent a fair time in Japan, you behave like a tourist. You should be aware that you don't call one by their first name. Doing so can be a mark of disrespect unless you're very close to the other person." She leveled him with a hard gaze, "and I can certainly assure you that we are not close—far from it."

A sigh from him, "How should I refer you then…? Mrs. Belial?"

Her foxlike ears flickered at the sight of his wiggling eyebrows, "Not even in your wildest dream will that ever happen," Yasaka hissed out, "and don't play silly games either. You know very well that you should address me by my title."

"Don't be a wet blanket, High Priestess." Danhauser rubbed the back of his neck. "You should let your shoulders loose once in a while."

"Relax as a leader of the Kyoto Youkai and with you nearby as well? Hardly possible. Perhaps if only you had a pure, kind heart, like natural, pristine water… my shoulders wouldn't be so stiff…" Ane of her fingers traced over her shoulder blades. She glared at him. "But instead, you turned out to be a demonic, chaotic cocktail of cola, sugar, cream, and sake."

Danhauser blinked, twice, "A what now?"

"What's the issue in being chaotic?" Chaos Karma Dragon wondered, mingling into the conversation without any consent, "I'm genuinely curious."

"Because it's destructive, immoral, and evil," Yasaka answered with a matter-of-fact tone, "there'd be no law, reason, common sense, calmness, and peace with chaos everywhere."

The Dragon King waited for the Daiyoukai to further justify her answer, but apparently, she just finished. Tiamat let out a tired sigh, "What a horrible interpretation of chaos. A not so surprising take for someone with a shallow grasp of the concept."

Yasaka's eyebrows collapsed, "Come again?"

"Chaos isn't all bad as you make it out to be," the Dragon King continued, "In fact, it's downright necessary when an era has come to a standstill."

"It's another matter entirely in times of war," the High Priestess countered, "Chaos begets evil then. Order is what is needed in difficult times like these."

"Umm, everyone?" Jeanne awkwardly twiddled her thumbs, "Hellooo…"

"An age of perfect order is insipid and dull. Nothing moves, nothing changes," Tiamat rebuked, ignoring the former saint's attempts to dissuade the headbutting. "Also, what's seen as good and evil changes over time."

"There is an established concept of good. Always."

"'Established'? Don't you mean 'assumed'?"

Their cold stares clashed as an intense silence swallowed the room—golden hue greeting dark blue. Their vertically-slit pupils had that intimidating factor that made Youkai and Dragons shake in fear—amongst other races. Danhauser couldn't help but lower his eyes over their bodies. While Yasaka had a voluptuous figure accentuated by her shrine maiden outfit, the body of Tiamat had a lithe, yet muscular physique that matched flawlessly with her bike-like outfit. The Dragon King was also slightly taller than the Daiyoukai.

Perhaps not the greatest moment to ogle them—he thought.

"I will… end it here," Yasaka shook her head with a sigh, "Getting worked out by something like this is not a befitting image of a High Priestess that leads the Kyoto Youkai. I still disagree with your viewpoints."

"So do I," Tiamat simply said.

"Anyways, with that aside…" Danhauser drawled and leaned on a wall to look interesting, making the whole room—aside from Tiamat—visibly cringe. "Are you free after the match? Saw one or two restaurants with great views of the city and I thought that maybe we should check them out?"

Tobio turned to the rest of the peerage, thumbing at his King, "Get a load of this guy."

"Thankfully, I am occupied," Yasaka rejected him, "I was summoned to Ars Goetia mostly to assist in a meeting plotted by Satan Lucifer—watching you partake in your first Rating Game was a mere proposal of Nurarihyon."

"The High Priest of the Moon? Never imagined he could be a great wingman."

"You are crossing a dangerous line."

He exhaled from his nose after she scoffed indignantly. Danhauser winked at her. "If you'll watch the game, then I better give my all in this match. This one's for you and your daughter."

Yasaka rolled her eyes before heading to the exit, "I'll be taking my leave then. What's the term that people around your age use nowadays? Ah, yes." she stopped at the doors to glance over her shoulder, "break a leg."

Once she left, Tobio turned to the gray-haired devil, "The Blonde Magnetism working like a charm as always."

"Let's not go there," Danhauser warned him.

"For real, though. You had to say something really bad to get the High Priestess to hate you." If the Death Note existed, Danhauser wouldn't be surprised if his name was the first one she wrote, "Perhaps a bad first impression? What was your first line when you met her on day one? Did you say something like: 'Your boobs are bigger than I thought?'"

Danhauser sighed, "No," he paused, slowly breaking into a stupid smile, "that was the second night."

Slash Dog stared deadpan as his master giggled a little by his own joke, "Hahaa… certified comedian."

"I didn't stop here just to guide the Daiyoukai, I also needed to give you the rules," Tiamat replied, lending him a sheet of paper. "These are a set of customized rules applied only for your team."

"Great," the gray-haired murmured before taking the paper off her hands. "What surprise do they have in store for us now..."

The peerage members waited for a moment with Valerie speaking for everyone, "Anything that we should worry about?"

"To keep it brief, you can't use your Sacred Gears," he said, looking up to study their expressions. "How you want to take the news is up to you."

"Uh, okay?" Tobio laughed a little, "this is in the bag anyways, but why? Are they trying to make us look like the underdogs of the tournament?"

"A dark horse perhaps?" Siegfried added.

Danhauser returned to the letter as the answer left him, "It's to keep our aces in hiding," he explained, "The Great King doesn't want us to reveal our secret weapons to Ruval."

Siegfried hummed, "Ruval the Blue Phoenix?"

"Since Clan Phenex is a Marquis, their superior is the Great Marquis—Clan Gamigin." Danhauser folded the paper. "Even if it's somewhat justified, I never liked these types of things in which they have to weaken a team just for the other team to have an opportunity. It feels insulting."

It was a slap to the face for both parties. It was as if they were saying their enemy team was so weak that needed the interference of the organizers. Meanwhile, the ones getting nerfed were as if they were getting caged—impeding them to use their powers freely.

Tiamat suddenly brought a finger to answer the earphone, "Yes?" she listened and nodded at their instructions before retracting her index finger to face the Belial Peerage. "Get in positions, the match is about to start."

The Dragon King snapped her fingers as a large magic circle appeared under their feet.

"About time," Siegfried sighed and stood from his seat. "For a second I thought I'd grow stiff from sitting here and doing nothing."

"The faster we get this done, the better," Valerie added.

Jeanne turned to Danhauser, expectantly, "So? How are we gonna do this? What's the plan?"

"Win," he simply said, "make sure to win."

"Heh!" Bova cracked his knuckles, "I can get behind that."

"If you're not worried about getting spotted, use your wings to get to your target faster," Danhauser advised them.

"You can't use yours, remember," Tobio warned him, "We don't want all Ars Goetia on our asses."

"While my status as Honorary President of the Rating Game Committee forbids me to pick favorites, I'm rooting for your peerage to win," Tiamat said to them. "So, make sure to not let me down, Belial Team."

"Huh. That came out of the blue, but we appreciate it." Danhauser then raised an inquiring eyebrow. "Still, why though?"

"Because Ddraig is on the opposite team."

Those were her last words before they were warped away from the room to a different location.

.


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This had to be the second match in which Issei participated. He knew little of chess and even less of the Rating Games, even after his master taught him a little about the ropes. He felt that she only touched the basic points such as the function of each piece and a brief glossary of the types of games that exist—she still had yet to address what's underneath the iceberg.

He still had to sponge up all the information he gathered from their previous game against the former fiancée of his King.

Thankfully, the referee did a quick recap for the audience and the participants about the basic rules of the Rating Game through a broadcast. They mentioned each team had two Phoenix Tears instead of one and how the Pawn could promote only if they were inside enemy lines. The only way to win was by either eliminating the King of the peerage or by keeping more pieces than their opponent.

Each team had fifteen minutes to formulate strategies before the bell rang in which heralded the start of the match.

Five minutes had passed since then.

"We have the same number of servants," Issei looked up—paying attention the moment President started talking. The whole team was around a rounded table formulating strategies to come up as the victor of their first game, all eyes on the map lying at the middle of the table. This time, they weren't in a replica of Kuoh Academy. Instead, it was two fortresses separated by the large forest in the middle.

He decided to keep quiet and speak when he was asked to; he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed when the early segment of the Rating Game was the central topic, "Without counting me and Danhauser, that's a total of ten pieces on the field—five for each King respectively."

She pulled a pencil to a circle around the fortress on the map, "Currently we are here," she did the same with the second fortress, "Team Belial is here. The only way to win this match is by at least eliminating one of his servants before playing defensively and wait for the game to end with all of us intact." She narrowed her eyes. "It will be challenging to put one of Danhauser's servants down."

The way she spoke always amazed him. There was no stuttering in her voice and if she was sweating bullets, she was doing a perfect job of hiding behind her mask of confidence. Maybe now that her arranged marriage was out of the window, she didn't feel any kind of pressure.

"What should we do then, President?" Yuuto spoke up, making Issei growl under his breath. He still hadn't forgotten the little show goldilocks did at the party. "Should we play defensively or offensively?"

But his focus was on the game, maybe only because that cute blonde girl was also in the game.

"That's something yet I don't know," Rias admitted, chewing her thumb in deep thought, "If we blitzkrieg our way to their fortress then we will have the element of surprise on our side and Ise could use Promotion… but my gut warns me that they're faster than us."

The Casanova frowned, a stare that could make high school girls faint dramatically. Tch! "Their movement is something that we shouldn't underestimate."

"As my Knight that relies on his speed, I'll take your advice to heart," Rias let out a tired sigh, rubbing the sides of her head, "Our second option is to not move an inch and wait for them to make their way here, using the forest to our advantage by settling traps and anything that will help us detect their current location. Akeno could as well summon a thunderstorm to cause a forest fire, greatly benefitting us."

Gasper brought a shy hand up, as if he was in a class, "P-President… if they fall into our traps would that be enough to retire them?"

"Not really," Rias folded her arms under her large bust, Issei briefly hypnotized by the small bounce, "but it should cause some damage to them and buy us some time. I know your childhood friend has a Sacred Gear that can heal wounds thanks to the intel you've provided us, but she's prohibited to use it," she explained to her Mutated Bishop, "… the disadvantage in this is that Danhauser could render our traps worthless with his Clan Trait and his Pawn could promote to Queen."

There was a long silence until Rias glanced over her best friend, "What do you think, Akeno?"

"…"

"Akeno?"

"We have to forfeit."

The redhead almost lost her balance, "A-Akeno?!"

Even Issei couldn't help but gawk at the second bombshell with the same expression! Even Koneko was caught off-guard by her bluntness.

"S-Senior…!" Gasper exclaimed.

"Rias. Our opponent is the Vice-Principal, the man that you theorize is equal to your cousin in terms of strength. Don't forget that his peerage were the ones that stopped a rampaging Kokabiel—a former leader of Grigori whose name was recorded in the Bible—in minutes and without suffering any critical damage. This isn't like our fight against Raiser's Peerage; each servant of the Vice-Principal is in a different league from us."

President had her mouth slightly open, her blue eyes never withdrawing from the violet hue of her first servant.

Even he could feel the betrayal radiating from President's stare. It hurt him.

And it seemed that the Vice-President was affected as well as Akeno's expression softened, "We were unlucky in the coin flip, Rias," she approached her to place a hand to her shoulder, "We will do better next time."

Finally, Rias looked down, her hair shadowing her eyes and Issei couldn't tell what she was thinking. "I won't do it."

It was Akeno's turn to become shocked, "R-Rias!" she took a step back, not believing what she just heard, "Did you listen what I—!"

"I heard you loud and clear, Akeno," the redhead cut her off, "but I cannot just give up when the game hasn't even started yet—let alone when this is my first match of the tournament!"

"There's no shame in admitting defeat, Rias."

"… My goal for the near future is not only inheriting my father's responsibility and lead Clan Gremory as their future head, Akeno," the heiress said, a clenched hand to where her heart is, "But to also win each Rating Game battle… to become the next Rating Game Champion by defeating the Emperor with my servants at my side. The fact that our first opponent is the Rating Game Heir of all people is nothing but a test to see if I'm worthy of the title."

"And if we lose, at least we gave our all," Rias finished.

"President! I will definitely make you win!" For the first time since the start of the meeting, Issei spoke as he sniffled, touched by her speech, "I don't know anything about tactics and strategies, but I won't let that put me down! I can still fight and do something for the team! I will become the Strongest Pawn for you, President!"

"Thank you. I will be relying on you," President flashed him a smile that made his cheeks redden, "My adorable Ise."

A sigh escaped from Akeno's mouth, "I'll place magic circles all around the center of the forest," she offered, "anyone else please take care of the east and west side."

"I'll handle the east side," Yuuto quickly volunteered, "I'll place some swords around the place to give us all the edge we need for this match."

"Thank you both," Rias nodded to them as relief washed over her. She faced her Pawn and Rook, "Ise, Koneko. Can you two be on the lookout on the west side? With Koneko's sharp senses, she should be able to detect if someone is nearby."

"W-what about me, President…?" Gasper meekly asked.

"I need you to stay with me," Rias said, "you never know if any of Danhauser's servants will infiltrate our fortress by sneaking past our lines."

A cue, the sound of a bell rolled through the battlefield as if it were a special sort of thunder, one that could laugh.

[It's time to commence this game! This match will continue until an hour has passed. Good luck!]

"That's our call!" Rias yelled out, "everyone get into positions! Let's do our best as the Gremory Team, my adorable servants!"

"Yes, President!"

.


.

Akeno was one of the few people to leave the fortress at amazing speed, surpassed only by Yuuto, and lagging behind was Issei and Koneko. It was mostly Yuuto's Knight Piece and her Queen Piece that made them faster to take positions. Yuuto was ordered to spread his weapons all over the place that could work as traps. She also was planning on planting magic circles in not-so-obvious places to damage or distract them.

Preferably the latter—Akeno hoped. She didn't believe they'd get wounded by her spells. But maybe if she poured all her magic powers in charging up the largest thunderstorm she had ever produced… then maybe the scales could tilt in their favor.

"Those are actually some neat magic circles!" an unknown voice made her heart skip a beat, "Sure, you could've made the formulas and equations more complicated, but I'll cut you some slack since you never studied in a Magician School."

She jumped back before invoking her wings and soaring to the skies. Her clothes were already swapped for the Shinto priestess attire that gave her the epithet of Priestess of Thunder.

Just as a dozen magic circles cackling with lighting appeared behind her, her attentive gaze scanned the whole place until they landed on a young man standing on the branch of a tree.

He had that fearless smile, unfazed by the lighting ready to turn him into crisps. He gave her a playful salute once their eyes met, "Hey there!"

"… It's you," her mind replayed memories of days ago, "the boy at the party."

"Hey, you remember me!" the brunet exclaimed, relieved, "glad to hear I wasn't just a passing memory… I was just worrying about nothing."

"I never caught your name," Akeno said, but quickly added, "I just heard one of your teammates call you Tobio. Is that your name?"

"Cool name, isn't it? I had to thank my mom for that one. I feel like the first time we met we started with the wrong foot. Let's give it another try," the brunet harrumphed before thumbing to himself, "I'm called Ikuse Tobio. Reincarnated by a Knight Piece," he paused as a smile flourished on his face, "I'm also your second cousin, Akeno."

.


.

Sitting on a boulder, Yuuto rubbed the blade of his produced sword between his fingers watching his skin take on the sunny hue. He looked like he'd spent the afternoon digging instead of lying on his back in the meadow—perfecting the art of emptying his head. Technically, he had been doing physical work as his King ordered him to do so.

Even if deep inside he knew it wouldn't change a thing.

But, it should at least capture her attention.

And his dreams came to reality when three figures of different sizes dropped from the clouds—two of them furling their bat-like wings.

Yuuto studied the silver-haired man and purple dragon calmly before turning to his target, "Good. You're here," he pushed himself off the large rock, "and you brought company too."

"You made it easy to mark your current location," Jeanne stated, "all those swords scattered everywhere led us here. To use them as minefields is an interesting idea."

"An interesting idea that turns useless once the enemy is in the sky," Yuuto paused, "Let's wrap things up quickly. Balance Breaker."

A field of large swords sprouted behind Yuuto as if he was growing crops, demonic energy began enveloping them and slowly their shape leaned more into a humanoid form.

After the metamorphosis was completed, Bova, Jeanne, and Siegfried watched the army of demonic-looking Knights standing behind Yuuto waiting patiently for the next orders of their master.

"… The most powerful form of a Sacred Gear," Jeanne frowned, reciting the words of her teacher—Vasco Strada, "triggered only by the emotions and feelings of the possessor."

And while Jeanne didn't study the mind and behavior of human beings, she knew revenge was a powerful emotion that mobilized people into action.

[INCREDIBLE!] the narrator—Naud Gamigin—cried out, [This had to be the first Balance Breaker we have to see since the start of the tournament! Will it change the tides in favor of Team Gremory?]

"Senior Akeno is correct on one thing," Yuuto spoke up, "Each one of you has a ridiculous amount of strength. I had the pleasure to witness it with my own eyes after our first fight, Joan of Arc."

"Even after doing your homework, you're still pointing your sword at us?" Bova hoarsely said, "You're gonna need more than a squad of tin cans with attached limbs to scratch the three of us."

"My plans went downhill once I saw Joan of Arc wasn't by herself," Yuuto admitted, "what I had in mind was our clash without any intervention. I trained hard for this … I can't let outside forces ruin everything I've been building up with utter precision. If I must fight each one of you simultaneously to attain my dreams, then so be it."

"Famous, last words," Siegfried muttered, pulling out the light sword he had attached to his belt.

Yet, Bova looked seemingly impressed, "And here I expected you to just scram off to a corner." he smirked, revealing his sharp set of fangs. "Maybe this fight won't be so bad…"

The blond finally returned his gaze to the former saint to slowly nod. "Use it," Yuuto encouraged her, grabbing the handle of his sword with both hands—his mass-produced knights also taking a stance. "Blade Blacksmith—use it."

"No."

The Knight of Gremory lowered his weapon a bit, looking at her incredulously, "… What?"

"We are prohibited from using our Sacred Gears or else we get punished." Yuuto's eyes narrowed at the plain explanation from Jeanne. "But even if that rule wasn't in my way, I wouldn't summon a single sword to fight you." She then brought both of her fists up, "I won't be using my battle flag either. I'll take you on like this instead."

A cold chuckle and his grip around his weapon tightened. "Stop joking around," he spat out, "I've been training day and night to fight against your holy swords and this happens? Really…?! This is just…!"

"If you wanna see my Sacred Gear in action so badly, then make me," Jeanne challenged, taunting him with a 'bringing it on' gesture. "Until then, all you gonna see are my knuckles doing all the work."

A dangerous glint glowed in the eyes of Yuuto. "So be it."

Jeanne readied herself as Yuuto—followed by his knights—charged forwards, indicating the start of their fight. The three of them stood their ground, waiting for the perfect moment to react.

Her eyes momentarily paused over the blond and she growled a little. She was there to represent Clan Belial, to fight as the Rook of Danhauser Belial. Not as the steppingstone of Isaiah.

At the end of the day, people needed common sense, not their teeth.

.


.

Rias was pacing back and forth with a magic circle at her right ear. Since the match had started, she hadn't left the room, "Everyone, is everything okay on your side?"

[… Forest clear.]

"That's good," Rias felt relief once she heard her Rook Piece, "Akeno?" she bit her lip at the sound of silence—her Queen was probably already engaging the enemy,"… Yuuto?"

Nothing as well.

Rias kneaded her temple; she could feel the worried eyes of her Bishop drilling into her skull. She swallowed all the fear that slowly grew in her and spoke in the comms, "If you are already in a fight, please return to the building as fast as possible. Make sure your opponent is following you. Gasper and I will meet you inside the fortress."

"T-That wasn't part of the plan, President…" Gasper spoke up.

"It's no use to stay locked up here," She dismissed the magic circle to look over her servant, "… none of us are ready to fight against any of them individually. The only way to retire any of them out of this game is by working together against one."

"B-but…"

"I plan to bring one of Danhauser's servants inside the building and attack them by surprise together," Rias explained, folding her arms. "You will submerge under the shadows and stay hidden. We will give you a cue when you'll ambush them and use Forbidden Balor View to freeze them while I throw my strongest spell until they're out of the game. What I need right now is any response from either Akeno or Yuu—!"

A book fell from a shelf.

"Who's there?!" Rias demanded as Gasper quickly jumped in front of her, "I can sense you are here! Show yourself!"

"They're in that corner, President," the Dhampir whispered, confronting their lurker by summoning his Sacred Gear.

Rias summoned the Power of Destruction in each hand, following the gaze of her Mutated Bishop.

The lone figure stood in the shadows of the meeting room, its glaring, red eyes almost seeming to glow in the abyss it hid in.

Gasper activated his night vision, his hard expression turned into a full-blown one, "V-Valerie?!"

"Ehehehe… that would be me," Valerie stepped out of the shadows and into the dimly illuminated room. She was smiling and her arms were behind her back, "Who would've imagined that our paths would cross once again, Gasper."

Absentmindedly, Gasper disabled his Sacred Gear, "I-I never thought…"

Why?

Why Valerie of all people?

[What amazing speed!] Naud praised Valerie, [Her stealth skills are noteworthy as well! How she sneaked behind the servants of Princess Rias is nothing short of praiseworthy!]

"I didn't imagine that this day would come either," his childhood friend laughed bitterly, paying no heed to the narrator, "and yet here we are—having a staredown."

"But why you…?" Gasper couldn't even look at her in the eye as he struggled to find words.

"To end this quickly," she explained, "I am here with a mission in mind—to win this match. And the most efficient way of doing so is by dispatching the main target."

Rias felt a cold sweat when Valerie pointed in her direction. "So that's your plan…" the redhead muttered frantically, "You were expecting that all my servants would be gone while I remained sheltered here. Alone."

"All by yourself," the Dhampir nodded, "but enough stalling. My arrival here isn't to gloat and monologue about my methods of debauchery. Gasper, I believe you know what comes next."

The crossdresser felt goosebumps at her words.

"I have every wish to not fight you, Gasper," Valerie smiled genuinely, "but my station as Pawn of Danhauser Belial mandates otherwise. Is my point getting across? Or is it still vague?"

"V-Valerie…"

"This is not a tea party. I'm not here to begin where we left off back in the ceremony," she elaborated. "As far as I can see, you have two options: Step aside or act as the Bishop of Gremory."

Gasper inhaled a deep breath and pressed a clenched hand to his chest. He finally gathered enough courage to meet her eyes, "Valerie… I won't hold back. A-As the servant of the President and as a man I will use all my power to make sure she wins this tournament! Even if it's you I have to fight! I-I will prove to you here and now how strong I am!"

The face of Valerie darkened as a smirk played on her lips, "Good."

Suddenly, the temperature dropped to frigid degrees so that Gasper and Rias could see their breath.

Valerie's form flickered and changed as the shadows within the room rushed and spun around her body until she was inside a huge cocoon made of darkness. The cocoon briefly shook as cracks emerged across its surface.

Rias took a step backward as a jointed leg broke through its shell—followed by seven more.

As the eight legs lifted the pupa, it peeled and fell to the ground without making a sound—dispersing into a pond of darkness beneath the newborn abomination.

With the cocoon out of the way, the two-meter tall creature was easier to identify.

While her top half remained broadly the same, her lower half transformed into a gigantic spider. Valerie had eight long jointed legs. Her abdomen was bulbous, sleek, and black with a large skull design on the back of it.

The beauty of a spider.

The elegance of a Noble False Widow.

Valerie brought a hand up—which was covered in a black carapace that reached her arms—and brushed off her hair that revealed on her temple four wine-red sclerae with black irises eyes that glittered with unnatural bloodthirst.

"Metamorphosis," Gasper felt the air in his lungs disappear.

The "True Form" of Vampires.

[Woah! Woah! WOOOOOAAAAAH! What is that?! No one saw that coming—even from miles away! How will Princess Rias and her servant respond to this?!]

"Annoying," the Arachnid huffed before looking over her childhood friend, "Now then. Let's begin, shall we?"

No more exchange of pleasantries, his body got covered by darkness as his eyes transformed into his Sacred Gear.

After both sides got into their stances, there was a moment of silence. Gasper didn't know if it was hesitation or he was simply waiting for her to make a move.

"Master," Valerie said aloud, "Promotion."

He understood the meaning behind those words. In an instant, his whole body exploded into a cauldron of bats and spheres of Power of Destruction launched toward the gigantic spider. Just as Valerie's Pawns transformed into a Queen, she disappeared, and the crisp sound of explosions and stuff falling on the ground kept the reading room vacant of silence. The blasts produced by the redhead left nothing intact. The arachnid leaped between the high-rise bookcases with precision befitting of a spider, using her legs to reach another large bookshelf to evade the attacks of her two opponents. She was a blur. The mutual attacks of Gasper and Rias missed, creating an explosion that evaporated anything in its vicinity.

"I got you!" The small army of bats created by Gasper suddenly took formation as their eyes glowed simultaneously, and with that, froze Valerie as punishment.

An opportunity like this shouldn't be wasted, "President! Now!"

"Got it!" Rias answered his call by manifesting in her palm a large sphere of demonic destruction. But didn't manage to complete her spell after a tendril of shadow wrapped over her wrist and yanked her forward, making Rias almost lose her footing and cancel out her spell.

The cry of his master further accelerated his heartbeat. "President!"

She quickly disintegrated the shadow by covering her arm with her Clan Trait. "I-I'm fine," Rias grimaced as she grabbed her wrist that now had a small, red mark. She saw how Gasper returned to his humanoid form and reached out to pull the Phoenix Tear from his pocket, but was stopped by the redhead, "Save it, Gasper. It's just a minor pinprick—that's all."

The mutated Bishop quivered his lower lip but nodded, focusing his attention over Valerie with a scowl.

His childhood friend just giggled behind two fingers, "Ehehehe… that intense glare, hopefully, I am not the cause of that. It'd break my poor, little heart if otherwise."

"You won't get away with this, Valerie!"

"And now we're like siblings quarreling!" this time, Valerie laughed genuinely, "How fun!"

The half-spider suddenly charged after them with a speed that rivaled lightning. Rias jumped out of the way with the help of her wings as Gasper once more transformed into a flock of bats to resume their fight, this time with a new foundation of determination and willpower.

.


.

"I smell someone."

Once his junior confirmed the presence of a third figure, Issei and Koneko stopped in their tracks.

Away from them, a figure walked straight toward them at a slow pace. Issei was thankful that after being reincarnated, he was able to see things from afar.

The man before them was—!

[And Danhauser Belial finds his first opponents in the tournament!]

The Vice-Principal of Kuoh Academy.

Issei always spotted him wearing a formal suit during his patrol across the school grounds—occasionally accompanied by his beautiful cousin and the pink-haired teacher with amazing breasts. He never went to work in a different set of clothing. It was his signature look. The student body even started spreading rumors that his closet was full of elegant suits and that he slept with them as well.

Today that stereotype jumped straight into the trashcan. Vice-Principal was a new man. Issei almost didn't recognize him if it wasn't for the grey swept-back hair and matching eyes. His appearance consisted of a black, sleeveless vest that accentuated his well-toned arms and shoulders. Below the belt, he had green pants and tall, brown boots. The brunet wanted to imagine that this specific wardrobe was only worn when he was in a battle or working out.

Like his senior Akeno and her breathtaking Miko outfit.

The Vice-Principal then stopped halfway to keep enough distance between them.

And then silence.

"… Hyoudou Issei, Second-Year student and member of the Perverted Trio," his grey eyes then landed over the white-haired girl, "Toujou Koneko, First-Year student and the Mascot of Kuoh Academy."

Issei and Koneko exchanged brief looks.

"How funny. You share your last name with my friend's girlfriend," he had a smile that you would expect from a teacher. "Her name is Sae. Ring any bells? Maybe you two are distant relatives, Toujou."

Koneko slowly shook her head, "No, Vice-Principal."

"Hmph. Thought so," He placed a hand toward his waist, "Anyway kids, how's school? Good grades recently? I want to know how your education is progressing. It's especially important to me."

Issei's stance lowered for a bit. Wait, what? Was he kidding or was he being serious? They were in the middle of the battlefield—ready to knockout the other—and the first thing he does was ask about school?!

"… Fine."

What?! Koneko even answered!

"That's good to hear," Issei sweatdropped when the Vice-Principal turned to him expectantly. "What about you, Hyoudou? Got in any trouble lately?"

"Uh…"

"… He's the worst," Issei almost face faulted—he felt a half of his soul getting eradicated by Koneko's cold-hearted words.

"K-Koneko!" He hissed at his junior, "Don't snitch on me!"

"Enemy to All Women in the World."

Ack!

"I guess that answers it," Danhauser hummed. "This is your third time in front of the public, isn't it?"

"Huh?" Issei blinked owlishly at him.

Danhauser signaled around them, outside the field where the people were watching their conversation with different degrees of excitement and impatience, "This is my third time too. I can't shake off the butterflies in my stomach," he continued, his voice almost sounded warm and kind, but at the same time, he could feel the seriousness just below the surface. "Can you?"

Still caught off-guard, Issei's brain accelerated to formulate an appropriate response. Do school presentations count? Or did it have to be exclusively anything in the Underworld? "Well…" he scratched his cheek with an uneasy chuckle, "It makes me feel a tad bit weird…"

The heir said nothing in return and brought a fist up. "Can you hear them? Do you understand what they want? They want us to fight," Danhauser started, "Thousands of eyes… all drawn to us, Hyoudou. There can't be any letup between us. Come, let's give them the entertainment the they want."

Danhauser took the first step.

Issei took it as a warning of the upcoming fight, "Boosted Gear!" he took a promising pose and materialized his Longinus, "Let's do this, Koneko! For President's dream!"

[Boost!]

He didn't see his junior, but he could gamble she gave a short nod and took her typical street-fighting stance.

[There it is ladies and gentlemen! There it is!] A cackle came from the reporter, [The rumors were indeed true! The Pawn of Princess Rias is the holder of one of the thirteen Longinus! The Boosted Gear! The Gauntlet of the Welsh Dragon manifested in this kid!]

The sounds of the crowd become part of the happy center of Issei's brain, reaching in and pulling out the joy. Hearing their screams of ecstasy… he couldn't help but feel pumped as well.

"I will not underestimate either of you." Afterward, Danhauser's fist emitted an aura that had the brunet squinting his eyes. He couldn't put a finger on what it was, but he was adamant that this was not anything related to demonic energy.

Issei thought he was seeing things when the usual stoic girl to his right gasped aloud, "N-no! It can't be…!" she took a trembling step back, "T-Touki...!"

The Red Dragon kept his guard up, looking between his junior and their opponent frequently. Her skin paler as if the ghost of her mother appeared right before her, "What's wrong, Koneko? Who's Touki?"

Her eyes sharply bumped into his—as if just recalling that he was here as well. The fear manifested in her golden orbs made his heartache, "W-we can't win this!" she grabbed his sleeve, "We have to group up with President and the others!"

"But I promised—!" A strong gust billowed their hairs as it heralded a greater disturbance. Issei just realized their opponent teleported in front of them. "Shit!"

The Pawn didn't have time to react. He felt an impact in his stomach that pushed him back. A vile noise soon followed it.

"Ise!"

Time slowed down as his brown orbs readjusted to his surroundings. His ears were subjected to deafness. It felt as if the world had been put on mute.

He was now on the ground. Issei lied there, unmoving—staring dumbly at nothing as the gears of his brain tried to recall how he ended up in such a position. He impulsively reached out underneath him—under his belly—and choked at the strange sensation.

[And Prince Danhauser draws first blood!]

The commentator was seconds late to confirm it. Issei shakily brought his hand up to see the tip of his digits coated in crimson fluids that slowly trailed all over his fingers.

Blood. It had spread into his t-shirt.

Blood. It spilled from his mouth.

Blood. The same color as her hair.

While trying to brush aside the dizziness growing in his head, Issei tried to look up, only to fail horribly.

He felt cold and hot at the center of his wound as blood continued rushing out from his abdomen until a pool of crimson expanded beneath him.

Issei didn't feel any pain whatsoever—he couldn't feel anything at all. It was all numb. His body had yet to acknowledge the insult in the center of his body.

[WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! Did Prince Danhauser leave the Sekiryuutei incapacitated with a single thrust of his fist?!] Naud asked no one in particular, [Unbelievable ladies and gentlemen, just unbelievable! How much power is this boy packing behind his attacks to fatally wound a Longinus User?!]

Issei coughed a glob of blood, "Are you serious...? Am I going to lose this fast?" the Red Dragon gritted his red-stained teeth, dragging his nails on the soil, "I haven't contributed anything in this match yet! I…! I…! I made an oath that I'll become President's Ultimate Pawn! I can still fight. I can continue fighting as long as I don't lose consciousness!"

"Rias reincarnated you with a Rook Piece, didn't she?"

No.

No…

He wouldn't…!

Through the sheer power of will, Issei only accomplished lifting his head off the dirt, just in time to see Danhauser calmly approaching Koneko with his whole arm still coated in this Touki. For each step coming from him, she backpaddled.

Unfortunately for the shorter girl, her back slammed into a tree—a dead end, "… No," she whispered, "… This can't be true… the same powers as my big sister… they are back… they are here… Why…? Why is this happening now…?!"

Danhauser said nothing.

"A nightmare… This is all just a bad dream…"

"S… top…!" Issei tried to pick himself up but to no avail. Every muscle had seized up. His body was struggling to recover—to repair the damage.

His gaze was also growing heavier—the black dots enveloping his vision.

[You're going through an intense wave of pain, partner,] the brunet heard the growling voice inside his head, keeping him somewhat conscious, [Your body is telling you to lay down.]

"Screw my body!" Issei snapped back, sinking his hand in one of his pockets to fish out the Phoenix Tear, "The retiring system hasn't kicked me out yet! I can… I can still blow him away!"

[The power gap between you two is evident. And yet, you still want to keep fighting? Not even a miracle will turn the tides.]

The brunet removed the bottle cap with his teeth and spat it away, drinking its content, "What kind of senior am I to let my juniors do all the work?!"

[… You would rush toward him, partner? What fool would build a strategy on that idea?] Ddraig watched through the emerald jewel of his prison as his host shakily pushed himself off the ground. He chuckled, [Ha! Why am I rebuking you when this is my share of the blame? You possess a dragon within you, our kin is not meant to pull pouts and other miserable faces. In that case, you need power. I will lend you mine.]

Issei stopped momentarily any of his actions, "Wait, really?" he switched his attention to the green stone in his gauntlet. His eyes brimming with hope, "Will you help me out?"

[Don't get too excited. What I'm offering isn't a gift,] Issei breathed heavily, impatiently, [My boon comes with a price. To temporally have at your disposal the power of the Dragon of Domination comes with a great toll. My question is, what are you willing to sacrifice in order to wield this power?]

What on earth was he was saying…?

Ah, wait. He understood.

The Pawn of Gremory caught on.

"An arm. A leg. An eye. I don't care," Leisurely, Issei could feel the properties of the potion treating his injury. It always took him by surprise the world of magic, but he didn't have time to admire his now healed abdomen, "Take whatever you want from me. Just lend me your power."

[Hmph. Very well.] Issei couldn't figure if the dragon approved of his answer or disapproved entirely of it, not like he was good at reading someone's emotions anyway, [Get up then. Pick yourself up and let the desires and feelings of your soul empower your Sacred Gear. I will handle the rest.]

As their mental link broke, steadily getting to his feet, Issei called out, "Hey, hey, you bastard," he growled between his ragged breaths, "You really think you'll get away with scaring my junior…?!"

He managed to halt Danhauser's footfalls. The gray-haired had his back to him, "You still have some energy left, Hyoudou?"

"You can bet on it!" the brunet snapped back, "And I will pick myself up as many times as I can if it's to stop you from hurting her! Just what type of man would I be if I let my junior… if I let Gasper do all the damn work?!"

Koneko was surprised, the respect reflected in her feline eyes, "I-Ise…"

"No matter what your reasons are, I must blow you away!" The brunet—for the second time—invoked his main and only weapon, "Shine! Boosted—!"

But he never managed to finish his sentence. He was forced back when a spear pierced through the air and gruesomely lodged into his shoulder, cutting him off.

On a knee and wide-eyed, he met the identical expression of his junior—loss of words, "What?" before he could pull out the barb, a gentle tug on his wounded shoulder stopped him on his tracks.

That's when Issei fully noticed the rope of a black substance, attached at the end of the spear made of the same viscous material, but enhanced by this Touki that his junior had mentioned.

Pitch Resin.

"A harpo—?!" He barely had time to recover his balance before he was reeled back to the gray-haired.

The Sekiryuutei tried to break free from the snare, like a fish after biting the hook. Despite the self-harm, he was causing by moving desperately, he didn't show signs of ceasing his actions. The fight he was putting to not get into Danhauser's reach was for naught after ending at the grasp of his opponent.

The Vice-Principal had a hand on his unwounded shoulder, pinning him on the spot by using enormous pressure. "A good effort," Immediately, he felt a force heave strongly at his gut again. It caused Issei to fly back deeper into the forest. A tree snapped under the immense force of the collision as he was sent careening into the ground, limp.

[It's over, partner.]

His throat was dry to come up with a rebuttal. His brown eyes were fixed on the ceiling of the stadium. Issei just lost count of how many times he received this type of pain in a single day. In this single fight alone.

"Same mistake. Same… fucking mistake."

"I will not stand here and watch when I know you will power up," Issei heard from his spot, "I've told you before, didn't I? I'm not underestimating you."

He then felt a light cover his beaten body.

"No…"

"…I can still fight."

"I will win."

"You gave your best," His eyesight started to blurry, "take a rest."

"I'm a Pawn. The Pawn that consumed eight pieces."

"I will become the Strongest Pawn."

"And then, President will be… proud of me."

That instant, an announcement was revealed before Issei saw darkness.

[Princess Rias Gremory's Pawn, retires.]

.


.

On her knees, Shirone could only watch hopelessly as her senior disappeared from the battlefield in small particles that vanished in the air.

Her eyes remained on the pool of blood, unfazed by the footsteps that slowly grew louder.

She didn't even react when a barrier surrounded them.

Her gaze dropped to the ground, feeling the shadow of a figure towering her, "Vice-Principal… you could've finished this sooner," she pointed out, "why stall it?"

"To see if you'd rely on your hidden powers after hearing his speech—to help him out," Danhauser responded. "You know Senjutsu too, Toujou. But you refuse to use it. Why deny it? It has something to do with your sister that you mentioned earlier?"

"… Why should I tell you?" she murmured, "so you can pass judgment on me? So you can decide if what my sister did was right or wrong?"

"All the same, I'd love to hear your explanation."

Her fingertips dragged on the dirt until nails pierced her palms, "I'll turn like her if I use it…" she shivered as the dark memories of her childhood instantly fogged her mind, "to follow her steps… to repeat her mistakes… I don't want any of that… I don't want any of that!"

Only if she knew the truth.

"You're ironically following in her footsteps," her heart and stomach dropped, "She ran away from her problems, exactly like you're running away from yours."

Shirone winced as if struck, but indignation smoldered in her eyes as she looked up to respond, "You'll never know how it feels! Never!"

"Try. Make me understand then," Danhauser challenged, only to be met by the judgmental, golden glare of the petite girl—he won't be getting any talk from her anymore, "… Sage Arts is the magic that comes from our body, from our life force. Being afraid of Senjutsu is being afraid of oneself."

She only turned her face away.

"If you wish to be different from her, then don't succumb to your powers," he aimed his Pitch-Resin spear at the Nekoshou, and cocked it back, "Even if it's a slow and challenging process, master them and conquer your fears because Senjutsu can feed up on that to corrupt you. You won't get anywhere if you keep dancing around it."

And he thrust his weapon forward.

.


.

[Princess Rias Gremory's Rook, retires.]

"Koneko as well?!" Yuuto momentarily glanced away from the raging battle to the large, magic screens floating all over the place—they were replaying the decisive moves that retired his teammates from the game.

Communication with the remaining teammates was also gone. It had been a while since he'd heard the voices of his seniors and Gasper. They must've been engaging against the enemy as well.

With the retirement of Koneko and Issei, not only did the Belial Team have the advantage in strength, but in numbers now.

After his eyes readjusted back to the field, his lips shaped into a thin line.

Siegfried was a blur, striking anything that stood in his way. He even was using one of his swords to dual wield and get the job done quicker. Yuuto tried to follow the speed of the silver-haired, but it was hard. He was faster than Joan of Arc. He was using the Knight Piece beyond its limits.

Then he glanced to perhaps the tallest creature to participate in the tournament—the Son of Tannin. He had one of his hands planted over the face of one of his knights, fingers just about ready to crush its helmet as it struggled on its knees for its freedom. The remaining parts of the other knights littered the ground.

The dragon smirked before the long nails of his fingers dug into its skull, crushing its helmet to the point of zero recognition. The sound of metal being bent clear in his ears.

He shuddered. If that was instead a human, their head would explode as blood and brains spilled over the ground, painting the area crimson.

Finally, he turned to his target.

Her martial arts—that only got augmented by her Rook Piece—was something to be wary about. He had the misfortune to taste her punch back then, once when Kokabiel invaded Kuoh Town and the second one during the party in the Underworld.

His mass-produced knights didn't hold a candle against her.

Even after achieving Balance Breaker by breaking the barriers of his body by going through an intense training session, he could still not hold a chance against her.

He was using everything to fight her, she was relying only on her fists.

Was it not enough? Was he slacking off? Was he not taking her seriously? The gap in skills was clear.

Watching the Knights he produced and that matched his footing getting blown away not only made him develop second thoughts, but also raise some questions.

From whom she took tutelage? He acted like a broken record at that point, but she never mentioned a name—not even a hint. It made him thirst for knowledge. But maybe the Knight of the Rating Game Champion was involved in her growth? In his case, the personality that taught him to swing a sword was the Knight of the current Lucifer.

Souji Okita. The former captain of the Shinsengumi and hailed as the best swordsman amongst them.

Yuuto escaped from his trance after one of his knights landed roughly beside him. He could hear the metal clacking as it struggled to pick itself from the ground and return for another round against the blonde French, but it lost all its strength once the red glow in its eye sockets slowly faded away.

Shaking his head and focusing, he spotted some of his knights still giving their all. Yuuto poured energy into his legs and dashed forward. The incredible force of his speed made leaves come up and fall gently back on the ground.

But she heard his footsteps and quickly spun around to counterattack by catching the blade with her bare hand and crushing it without flinching. She followed by a thrust of her fist and he quickly avoided by stepping aside which gave Jeanne enough time to close their distance.

Despite consuming a Rook Piece, her speed was comparable to a Knight Piece.

She swung once more with her fists and Yuuto quickly produced a weapon that resembled a shield that blocked her hit with the flat side of his fresh sword—but the force behind the strike overwhelmed him and was forcibly pushed down onto the dirt. He managed to block her knuckles, but the shockwave still coursed across his body.

As he fell on the floor, he heard the cracks forming on the ground beneath him and some blood emerged from his lips and nose.

Jeanne cocked her arm back and was ready to deliver the finishing blow until his knights finally joined the rescue. Jeanne leaped back from the collapsed Yuuto to fix her attention on the mass-produced troops. She crossed her arms above her head to block the sword of the lifeless knight. Once the attack made contact, she responded with an uppercut, hitting her opponent under the chin and hurling its helmet to the sky.

As the headless knight fell on its knees in defeat, Jeanne relied on her sight and senses to find anyone's presence. She felt the air distorting behind her and moved out of the way, just in time to see the knight swinging its sword and piercing her former spot.

All it took was a single punch to the center and the armor exploded into small, metal pieces.

Yuuto was all by himself now, his small army completely wiped out by the former saint.

But the fight was not over yet.

On his knee, he wiped up the blood on his lips and nose with his fingers and summoned a pair of swords. He shakily stood up as a heavy breath escaped from his throat.

No hesitation, he rushed straight at her. Demonic sword and fist collided. Each time they made contact, waves of their impact ruffled the trees surrounding them. Unfortunately, it cost Yuuto a blade every time he stopped her swings. He gritted his teeth in response and pushed his worn-out body past its limits by slashing with more intensity.

Her movements were smooth, and her untiring and fierce attacks continued to push Yuuto. The determination and fearlessness reflected in her eyes. When he managed to block her rampage, he was forced to kneel and forge another blade by the power of the shorter girl. He did his best to stand up and make some space, but Jeanne's offensive left him in a tight spot and with little time to respond.

Yuuto's face was covered in sweat. His chest raised heavily with every rough breath he inhaled and exhaled.

He found the opening to jump away from her, but the moment he landed, his legs started to tremble. His stance was disrupted. His footing slipped for a split second.

A fatal mistake that'd cost him.

Something crashed into his stomach that all the air he had in his system was forcefully ejected.

And just like that, Yuuto was sent flying across the field.

[Down! Dooooooown!] the live commentator screamed his heart out, [The Knight of Princess Rias is down!]

Yuuto had crashed into the wall of their main building, and it seemed as though he was unable to get up. His stamina had already been completely depleted. He had become physically exhausted after dueling Jeanne.

He was still conscious, but it looked like he couldn't even move a finger anymore. His ears detected the footsteps coming his way. His legs—his greatest asset—betrayed him.

He didn't have to peek up to see who it was, "I lost," he said, "by your hand again. I… guess this is what people refer to as Déjà vu."

"That's not what it means," Jeanne said, "Déjà vu is the feeling of repetition, or familiarity when in actuality, it is your first time experiencing it."

A half-hearted chuckle, "Huh. I guess you learn something new every day."

A pregnant silence.

"… I used everything I had at my disposal, I pushed my Sacred Gear and body to new lengths for this occasion. Even if the Rating Game was lost since the start, the satisfaction of defeating you and your Sacred Gear was more than enough to me. My personal victory. My steppingstone," he finally looked up to meet her eyes. No anger or hate—only exhaustion and disappointment, "but I was wrong. I couldn't even scratch you as you fought empty-handed. Just how far I am to achieve my goal…? What am I doing wrong…?"

"Even if it's fairly common, vengeance shouldn't be part of human nature," Jeanne stated, "If we let our ambitions and passions turn into bloodlust then we will turn into a vile, pale shadow of our former self."

Another strained chuckle, Yuuto didn't even try to push himself off the ground, "We're not humans—not anymore," he reminded her, "We've sold our souls to a Devil. Reincarnated Devils, that's our identity now."

"I may be a Reincarnated Devil now, but the heart that beats inside me remains the same." Jeanne paused a little, "I won't be pulling on your ear anymore, Isa—!" She shook her head. "Sorry, Yuuto was it? Isaiah died, long ago. This is Yuuto now, the Knight Piece who should watch the backs of his comrades just as much as they will watch his. To make sure he doesn't lose any of his friends like Isaiah did in that Holy Sword Project."

She tried to spot any reaction, but Yuuto's lowered head and blond locks all over his face impeded her to find something, "I will leave it to your King to conduct your behavior, but it's also up to you if you want to change or not," she pursed her lips, "Good luck."

They stood there as another cloud of silence floated above them. Jeanne wondered what took the Rating Game System so long to remove Yuuto from the battleground. Maybe they were expecting Yuuto to get up for a second round?

Which he could, technically. Yuuto could close his wounds—even if he lacked a Phoenix Tear. He only had to think outside the box and create a demonic sword whose ability was to heal wounds and recover energy.

It wasn't rocket science, really.

"I surrender," his call made her do a doubletake as the lights of the Rating Game System finally enveloped him, "… I need time to reflect on everything—to slow down and figure out what's important. I can't carry that out with so many people observing us. I need privacy more than anything."

"So… is it over?" Jeanne asked to clarify.

"… I need time to think," he repeated and fought back his pain to nod at her, "You fought well, Jeanne. Let's meet again, on another time."

"In different circumstances," she added, hopefully, "Farewell, Yuuto."

[Princess Rias Gremory's Knight, retires.]

.


.

Through her VIP room, Yasaka's golden eyes never retracted from the game.

Her expression remained apathetic and turned deaf to the loud voice of the narrator, as the replays of the suddenly showed up—filling her vision with all the scenes that had brought the Belial Peerage to the path of victory.

"I've watched enough," Yasaka turned heels to reach for the exit—it was no use to see the rest of the match after she already figured the conclusion of it.

She still had her doubts, though. Nurarihyon had mentioned that the Belial Peerage were apt to handle Satanael and retrieve the Kusanagi that was stolen by Gyoubu Inugami and lent to the Fallen Angel.

The Inugami that betrayed the Kyoto Youkai Faction.

Her partner in crime back in her youth.

But she was straying from the issue now.

Despite the obvious victory of Danhauser and his servants, the Daiyoukai still felt dissatisfied by the results.

It was one thing to fight against someone in an elite sport with a system that retreats you from the game after losing consciousness, and another to put your life on the line by fighting against terrorists that may have reached the power to wound even the gods.

Plus, by the looks of it, his opponents were novices. They still had yet to gather or at least expand their knowledge of the battlefield. That's something she was willing to confess about Danhauser—he has a decent grasp of survival.

Something she was sure about was that the Belial Peerage was holding back—it yet had to show its true potential.

"And to make it worse, they are neighbors of Kyoto Youkai," Yasaka grumbled while rubbing the bridge of her nose. "What a ridiculous generation. I'm growing a headache just by thinking about it."

.


.

Still airborne, Akeno felt the sweat accumulating above her brow, eyes not leaving her nonchalant opponent.

Three. Three members of their team were disqualified already. The chances they had to win by having more chess pieces on the board were now below zero.

They didn't have time to reunite to formulate a backup plan either. The Rating Game could very well end in a few minutes. Time was ticking, and it wasn't in their favor.

But she couldn't retreat and meet up with her master either. Tobio was a Knight Piece, and like the rest of the peerage, he was absurdly fast and had the strength to win in a one-sided fight.

"Very well," she slowly descended back to the ground, dismissing her wings, "I'm all ears."

"Great! Let's talk!"

Maybe if she kept one of them distracted long enough a miracle could fall from the sky?

And besides, Akeno couldn't deny that his introduction somewhat piqued her curiosity.

Her body tensed once a barrier surrounded them, she quickly regarded her supposedly relative for an explanation.

"They were being noisy back there," a small grin grew on his face, "plus, privacy. I don't want them eavesdropping in our conversation, do you?"

"I… guess that's fair," she accepted his answer hesitant a slow nod, still keeping her guard for any possible sneaky attack.

It was all silence between them until Tobio broke it, "So, anything you wanna know about me?" he encouraged her, "I'll do my best to answer anything, some things remain confidential, though."

"I understand," she cleared her throat, "Ikuse then?" Akeno questioned, "shouldn't you also be…"

He noted how she fumbled to say her last name, "My grandma was born as a Himejima," he revealed, "she was exiled for not following their traditions and practicing Buddhism instead. After picking up her life and moving forward, she married the love of her life and started a happy family as an Ikuse."

Akeno offered a smile, "That's good to know."

"We have another cousin. Suzaku Himejima—Head of Clan Himejima." Tobio commented idly, "around my age I think, but that's all I got from her."

The Five Principal Clans did a damn good job of keeping everything about them under wraps. As far as he could tell, Suzaku wasn't her real name. She discarded her original name after inheriting the Sacred Beast of the Himejima Clan.

The Vermillion Bird—Suzaku.

Azazel offered to lend him a hand, but he turned down the offer. It was a personal mission where Grigori wouldn't win anything other than wasting their time on sating his curiosity.

"And is she nice? Or…" The Queen of Gremory drawled.

"I have no idea," Tobio grunted dryly, "but I got a thank you letter from her four years ago. That must mean something, I guess…"

"I see…"

"Yeah…"

"Holy fuck this is awkward," Tobio rubbed his face. Slash Dog pictured in his head this conversation rolling out smoothly with an exchange of smiles, laughs, and pleasantries. Only two family members meeting for the first time.

But not all plans come to fruition, unfortunately.

The way she acted was the exact opposite of what Danhauser used to describe her. An elegant young woman with a coquettish side that got the male population of Kuoh Academy wrapped around her finger.

In a nutshell: She was someone that gave the vibes of a Big Sister. Like Lavinia, but more inclined to being flirty than motherly.

What Tobio saw instead was a different character. A shy, schoolgirl that got flustered after talking to someone of the opposite gender—as if she never had any interactions with boys in her entire life.

[You're not looking great yourself.]

"Shut up." Maybe she still wasn't sold by his narrative yet? Honestly, he couldn't blame her for still not connecting the dots or trying to spot any flaw in his story. It was the first time they met, after all.

Well, a second time. But the first time didn't count.

"How did you hear about me?" Akeno seemed to suddenly ask, interrupting his stupor, "The Himejima Clan erased my background by censoring my existence—only a small number of people know about my childhood."

"I… think we both know the answer to that," Tobio laughed nervously, unaware how her small smile left without a trace.

"No…"

"He's the one that also taught me about the ropes. He can't stop talking about your, you know? Always nibbling his fingers about his little girl. He needs a chill pill, agreed? You're in safe hands with the Gremo—!"

"That's enough."

He blinked owlishly at the sudden tone of her voice. "Huh?"

"That's enough," she repeated icily, "stop talking nonchalantly about that sorry excuse of a parent."

He looked at his cousin as if a second head popped out of her, "He's your dad, Akeno. How can you say that?"

"That man is NOT my father!"

"Akeno, he is. He loves you dearly," but the brunet insisted, "you are the world to him."

"Is that so?" a dangerous gloom emerged from her gaze, tears threatening to fall, "how did that man cherish his own family Tobio? Did he ever tell you? Did he tell you how he abandoned them after they got raided by a group of hooded figures? Is that how a husband shows his love to his wife? How a 'father' shows affection to his daughter?"

"He told me about what happened," his gaze softened, "to this day, he still feels guilt and regret from what'd happened to your mother… to his wife. Trust me when I say this: Baraqiel would travel back in time and screw the timeline just to rescue you both, come hell or high water."

"Such a biased and misleading speech to promote him in a good spotlight," a bitter laugh escaped her—it was so out of character, "showering him with praise and sympathy won't change the true nature of that man. Did he tell you about how I got kicked out from the house of my mother's relative thanks to my Fallen Angel heritage? Or did he keep it hidden just to look like a kicked puppy?"

"That's—!"

"How about when I had to survive all by myself?" Akeno cut her cousin off, wiping her cheeks every few seconds, "I've been looking out for myself since the age of ten, Tobio. Ten. No food, no money, no shelter… no child should pass under these circumstances ever."

"…"

"A-And do you know the worst of all?" she hissed out, he could taste the venom slipping out, "When my family from my mother's side hunted me down to put m-my head on a spike. Where was he when my Great Uncle was a hair away to land the decisive blow? Where was he when his daughter needed him the most? What took him so long to rescue her…?"

He could only watch with mixed feelings as a great sob escaped his cousin, and she covered her face with shaking hands. He could only watch.

Moving closer to pull her into a hug wouldn't be his best decision. People reacted differently to that gesture—some accepted it, others don't.

And after meeting for the first time and opening old scars, Tobio doubted she'd wholeheartedly accept his embrace and sob her heart out in his shoulder.

This conversation went to the wrong route—that's for sure. He missed already the shy-looking girl, "Akeno… I—!"

"No," she whimpered, pulling her palms away from her face—making his throat tighten. She had wiped her eyes so much they were red and swollen. "No ifs and or buts. This conversation is over. I-I'm not interested in hearing more of this subject nor talking anymore. That man… he means nothing to me."

The brunet saw the sparks cackling at the tip of her fingers that only reinforced her statement, "I see," after a moment, Tobio kneaded his temple, "that's… how it is, then. I…I understand. You're entitled to your opinion, but I don't share it."

"… Get ready Tobio."

[Boy.] Lycaon's voice echoed in his head, waiting.

"… We can't use our Sacred Gears, remember. I got this," Tobio summoned his spare scythe—it'd be overkill to attack her with his Longinus even if he was allowed to do so, "I'm sorry it had to end this way," he lamented, "To start our conversation with the wrong foot again wasn't on my list to do," his grip over his weapon tightened, "I'll make this quick, Akeno."

Once it was over, he needed a talk with Baraqiel.

.


.

[Princess Rias Gremory's Queen, retires.]

In the mansion's corridor, a dozen bats glided under the lights of the chandeliers using incredible acrobatics and agility to narrowly dodge the quick tendrils made of shadows that manifested from everywhere. Under him, above him, his sides, all of them lunging forward to target and impale him with their sharp tips.

As Gasper kept moving and dodging, he could take note of the shape of her shadows. He was wrong in comparing them to tendrils. They looked like pikes and stakes ready to impale him.

The common Vampire used their power over shadows to ensnare their prey or to slice them as if they were sharp blades or barriers for protection. The technique that his childhood friend was using was unique—well-known by its usage from a notorious figure that used a cruel method that inspired fear in his enemies.

Gasper didn't have any struggle in connecting the dots—he already figured who was her teacher just by admiring her shadows.

She was the youngest child and only daughter of the Fourth King of the Tepes Faction.

One of the biggest adversaries of the Church—Draculea Tepes. The Cockroach.

As such, Valerie was the Daughter of the Impaler Lord.

It made him ponder, if her power reached new lengths, maybe she could inherit the infamous title of her father?

The Impaler.

Kazıklı Bey.

"W-Watch out!" he heard the exhausted voice of his King coming from one of his bats, followed by a sphere of destruction that split the spear of shadows in half, giving him the opportunity to bail out.

His King was inside of one of his bats that were made from shadows. He learned it after watching Danhauser in his True Form doing something similar. It was easier to transport objects and people and keep them safe. He had to rely on this technique after Valerie kept her main objective in mind: to retire the King. Now, the Pawn of Belial had to fight against him whether she liked it or not.

Something was wrong, though.

"Are you okay, President?"

"I-I'm alright, Gasper!" her voice didn't sound convincing, it looked like she was struggling. "Don't think about me and focus on the match!"

"P-President…" the Dhampir swallowed hard, "… Are you aware that we're the only ones left?"

"…"

Aware that she heard him loud and clear, he dropped the subject. As Gasper reached the end of the corridor by flapping his wings, all the bats split up to cover more ground. He started looking everywhere for any signs of a certain Noble False Widow who was attacking them from the shadows—literally.

"Where is she…?" Rias wondered, still inside her transport.

A crawling sensation on his back told him that he was being observed and immediately controlled his bats to look at different spots and prepare to freeze time. His King seemed to understand his actions as her personal bat opened its mouth, a black ball of Power of Destruction forming in front of it.

But before they could do anything, one of Valerie's shadows pierced one of his bats with a ridiculous speed, electing a painful scream out of him.

The ability to explode into a crowd of bats was a double-edged sword. On one hand, he multiplied and it gave him the advantage to further exploit the usage of his Sacred Gear, making it harder to avoid and easier to confuse his opponents.

Unfortunately, it had a big flaw. Since his flock of bats was his body, any damage the bats sustained resulted in an equivalent injury in his main body.

All of his bats descended to the ground and slowly turned back into the androgynous figure of Gasper and his master Rias.

The Dhampir quickly covered his pierced shoulder and winced at the feeling of his fresh wound—even the slightest movement produced an uncomfortable feeling that coursed across his body.

At the center of the room was a swirling vortex-shaped darkness in which the familiar eight jointed legs of a spider emerged and pulled up the whole body of Valerie Tepes still in her Metamorphosis Form. Her arachnid half and size made her overall more intimidating to look at.

Gasper was ready to take her on, but Valerie's voice made him freeze up, "It is worth mentioning that I am the least of your problems right now."

At first, he didn't catch her cryptic threat, but the small thud coming behind him solved the puzzle in his head.

He looked over his shoulder and his eyes grew wide in horror.

On her knees, the now pale Rias took ragged breaths as cold sweat dripped from her face. She looked like she was about to throw up at any second.

"President!" Gasper was already at her side, placing a hand on her temple just to pull back in surprise, "Y-You have a fever…" he started searching all over her appearance thoroughly, "W-What happened?! How?! You were fine minutes ago! How did this…!"

"Gasper…" Rias struggled to speak up as she invoked all the willpower she had spared to stay conscious, the tears of pain growing in her eyes. "M-my arm… she… it hurts so much…"

He quickly inspected her limb and his breath hitched. Her arm was stiff, burning, swelled up, and reddened with small blisters. It was an unpleasant sight—something he never expected to see on her perfect skin.

The memory suddenly crashed onto him like a cannonball. It was at the time he froze Valerie with Forbidden Balor View when Rias was about to throw her strongest ball of destruction only to be interrupted by a sneaky shadow wrapping all over her wrist—leaving a small mark behind. They shrugged it off when they could've stopped it.

That's when Gasper realized that during her Metamorphosis, her shadows were poisonous to the flesh.

He sneaked a hand to his shoulder and grimaced. He retracted it to see a spot of blood all over his palm, a strike made by the Noble False Widow.

It was as if the adrenaline flowing in his body blessed him with immunity over the venom until now. After connecting the dots, all the stamina flooding his small body dissipated—swapped by an immense throb in his head and blurriness in his eyesight. The agitated beat of his heart felt like it'd explode from his ribcage, its incessant thrumming reached his ears.

"Stupid!" Gasper berated himself, doing his best not to hammer the floor with all the strength he had. He retrieved his Phoenix Tear and yanked off the bottle cap with his teeth before splashing all its content on the fatal area of his King, "Of course she has venom! She's a spider!"

"G-Gasper…" the dry call of his master yanked him back to the real world. "I-It doesn't work…"

"W-What?" he looked back at her arm to see the welling healing up and returning to normal. She was slowly recovering. "But your arm…"

Then it struck him. The Phoenix Tears only healed any physical damage, but it didn't neutralize substances that harmed the body such as venom or recovered stamina to the drinker.

His King was still sweating profusely and struggling to breathe. The venom was still there—expanding all over her system with the speed of a snail, but with the deadliness of a snake.

It was only a matter of time before the arm of her King once again became ugly to see.

"R-Right…" Thankfully, his brain acted quick enough to formulate a plan that could save Rias from retiring.

He gently brought her arm up to eye level and gulped audibly. And then, Gasper sunk his fangs on Rias' arm. He ignored her weak and protesting moan and continued extracting the contaminated blood that spread all over her veins.

Putting aside the unpleasant bitterness of the venom, Gasper could taste the flavor of her sweet blood. The taste was beyond this world—nothing he'd savored before. Was this because she had pure blood because of her lineage with Clan Bael or because she was a virgin? Or all reasons?

Was this what the Great King Faction always boasted about?

He pulled back with a loud gasp before Gasper fell into an unclenching thirst of blood. He felt growing weaker than before. He brought a hand to his stomach once it growled as if he skipped food for three days straight. He could no longer hear his surroundings. His eyesight zoomed in and zoomed out constantly that even if he kept his eyes shut, nothing would change.

He wanted to throw up.

And he did.

"Sacrificing yourself for your King…" he oddly enough managed to hear the voice of Valerie through his dizziness, but it felt like it was distant and close at the same time, "the right choice, but too late. It's all over her body now."

Gritting his teeth, he distributed his demonic energy across his left arm and aimed at the blonde who still hadn't lifted a finger. A small ball of crimson energy appeared in front of his palm, followed by a pitch-black beam of powerful, demonic energy fired at his opponent.

The last thing he saw before a veil of dust emerged was his attack striking Valerie head-on.

Finally.

[IMPOSSIBLE! Are my eyes deceiving me or did a Reincarnated Devil just use the exclusive ability of Clan Bael?! How is that even possible?!]

The dust produced by his attack cleared up, revealing the damage caused around Valerie's body. She had a hole at the center of the chest where he could see through it—blasted away by the fearsome Power of Destruction.

But that brief moment of triumph was seized away when the fatal wound of Valerie started to repair itself—stitching itself until the deep injury was gone from her body. Not a single scar was left on her pale skin.

"Sephiroth Graal…"

[Now the regenerative powers of the Phenex Clan too! What are these two..?!]

"Your endeavors were touching..." Valerie said to them once her regeneration was finished, "but when you pick the wrong fight, that's all they'll ever be."

Still, under the effects of the venom, Gasper dropped to his knees, "I-I'm sorry, President…" he chocked out, holding back the tears of pain and shame, "I… I couldn't do anything…"

He felt a pair of arms weakly wrapping behind, her hand affectionately passing through his platinum hair, "Don't beat yourself up too much," Rias chided her servant, "all of you did amazing today. I am proud of each one of you."

"I wanted to s-show you two how strong I am," Gasper continued rambling, "to show you that after all these years… I became a man of the Gremory household."

"A man?" Valerie repeated, head tilted. "You are not prepared, Gasper. You have yet to grasp the meaning behind that word. You also need a role model to look up to as an example to help you shape and how to behave like a man."

Gasper sniffed a little, "But from who?"

A mischievous smile emerged from Valerie's face—befitting of a villain, "If your goal is to grow and become a man then search for Dan the Man. You will learn everything you must know from him."

"Dan… the… Man…?" his last breath hitched before his eyes rolled to the back of his skull and fell unconscious in the arms of his master.

[Princess Rias Gremory's Bishop, retired.]

Valerie glanced to the barely conscious redhead whose arms were holding nothing but air. "Surrender," she advised her, "all your pieces have been retired. This game has come to a checkmate."

Rias bit her lower lip before hanging her head low, "I… surrender."

A broadcast of the referee then was heard all across the battlefield, [Princess Rias Gremory's declaration of surrender is accepted. The match is over! The winner is Prince Danhauser Belial!]

And the whole world screamed.

.


.

[The sun is out! The smiles are out! The year is 2008! The man that vanished from the Underworld for four years comes home to win his first official Rating Game with an overwhelming victory!] the voice of Naud Gamigin could be heard behind all the cries of the stadium, [The Heir of the Rating Games—Danhauser Belial—is back ladies and gentlemen! Wow! What a game!]

All the lights were on him, all the broadened eyes on him. The jumbotron recorded his image, all the attention centered around him.

He was the spotlight.

The grandstand was at their feet, not a single soul was in their seat.

The children and teens acted according to their age. The adults and elders dropped appearances and let their youthful spirits sync with the chorus.

Cheering. Screeching. Shouting.

Waving their arms frantically.

Chanting his name in complete unison.

All their emotions, all that pent-up energy released in the air.

Why were they getting so worked up?

This whole match, this whole game…

A magic circle formed beside his ear, [Not bad for your first match,] It was Lord Bael talking, [Next game, however, fight the King instead. Don't waste your time with their low-class servants.]

Then, Lord Bael hanged the call.

It was dull from start to finish.

It wasn't exciting.

It wasn't thrilling.

For curiosity's sake, he brought an arm up, a clenched fist to the exposed sky.

And the whole crowd went wild.

A simple gesture and yet, the yelling intensified.

So weird.

"…Did something happen to the Rating Games?"

.


.

[Prince Danhauser, a minute!] eyes still glued on the television, Roygun saw how the cameraman lagged behind the reporter, who was chasing after the gray-haired devil.

Lucky for them, he stopped but his lips thinned at the sights of cameras. [… Yes?]

[My team were wondering if you are available to address a few questions?]

[… I'm not sure,] He awkwardly mumbled, just wanting to leave but not wanting to look a fool and storm off, [The media nowadays are looking to stir drama to get clicks.]

[Aw, don't make that face. Not everyone believes in that farfetched rumor! The people that still believe in such things are only a minority!]

[Those are the loudest,] Danhauser muttered.

[That may be so, but today we certainly were louder!] she joked a bit before her expression turned professional, [Prince Danhauser, we are an official source of information for journalists covering the Rating Games. Our job is simple: to collect information about the Rating Gamers regardless of if they're novices or professionals. And this tournament is perfect for such. Is it possible for you to spare some time to answer our questions?]

Danhauser didn't answer right away. In fact, he looked like he was about to refuse. But he simply offered a nod.

[Thank you! It'll be a short interview, I swear!] she harrumphed, [Prince Danhauser, what was your reaction after your first match?]

Danhauser had to cock his head back after the journalist pointed the mic close to his mouth, [I feel like there's not much to say other than we left a good impression on the spectators. We hope that we can keep that enthusiasm until the end of the tournament.]

[Didn't feel exciting to go back to the games?]

[… No, not yet,] he shifted his hands over his hips, [It still has yet to kick in, if that makes sense.]

She nodded in acceptance before tackling the next question, [If you could describe your first opponent with one word what would it be and why?]

[Potential,] Danhauser passed a hand through his slicked-back hair, [despite having an incomplete set and losing this match, the Gremory Peerage has proven to be a decent team when they defeated Prince Raiser who has played a total of thirteen matches and a complete peerage to boot. Her Pawn also has a Sacred Gear with enough power to overthrow Gods. They only need time to figure the ins and outs of their powers.]

[Last and most important question!] the interviewer exclaimed, [In case you're not aware, we've asked this same question to other heirs participating in the games. Since you are a relative to the Rating Game Champion, and the legend that only members of Clan Belial can become the next champion remains strong, the audience has been itching to hear your response more than anyone else. Are you ready?]

[Fire away.]

[What's the thing you love the most about the Rating Games?]

His mouth opened, but nothing came out. He frowned and glanced in a different direction.

Roygun honestly couldn't understand why he was taking so long. She could write a book about the beauty of the Rating Games and make it the best seller in Ars Goetia.

Unless he was doing it on purpose to build up suspense? To keep them at the edge of their seats?

"Tease! But I approve."

It took almost a minute before he faced his interviewer, [I don't know.]

"Wait, what?"

[Wait, what?] the reporter stole the words right out of her mouth, [Why?]

[Because I'm just as in the dark as you all are,] he had a sheepish smile as he offered a non-comital shrug, [I don't know how to say it but… Give me some time and ask me again.]

The reporter of course wasn't satisfied, nor the people watching the interview. They were expecting inspirational words from the rumored Heir of Rating Games, and instead, Roygun and the watchers got scammed. Blue-balled, as Malacoda says.

[Very well,] a sigh from the interviewer that expressed everyone's sentiment, [Thank you for your time and patience, Prince Danhauser. I can confidently say that we look forward to your progress.]

As Danhauser nodded and left, the reporter spun to look at the camera to narrate the encounter.

But Roygun had enough of the media for today. After muting the television, she lowered the controller, "Thank you," Roygun leaned back on the couch and cocked her head back until her eyes locked on the ceiling. She clasped her hands in front of her, "This is your first steppingstone, Danhauser. You can do it. I believe in you."

The pink-haired devil turned to the second figure keeping her company. It was Ingvild who was settled snugly into the corner of the sofa. She studied the TV with a look of perplexity framing her face.

Her smile dropped a bit after analyzing the deteriorating appearance of the Half-Devil. Her disheveled, and unkept purple hair was everywhere, covering up most of her face except for her exhausted eyes and bags. It was a shame, such a beautiful hair that could make women fume with jealousy was handled with such poor care.

She questioned Danhauser about it, and he told her that he had it under control and to not worry too much about it.

But when those large and innocent eyes stared into the gates of her soul… it tugged most of her heartstrings.

Roygun was thankful that Ingvild was curious to the point of striking a conversation just to get a suitable answer. The fact that the Leviathan Descendant was in a new era, the girl couldn't take a breather after throwing a dozen of questions.

She just hoped that whatever Danhauser had in mind, he would act quickly.

"How was it?" Roygun spoke up before her emotions got the better of her, "What do you think?"

"… They're strong," the soft-spoken Leviathan breathed out.

"Obviously," Roygun chuckled, playfully poking the girl's cheek, "but I was talking about the Rating Games in general. Do you like it? What do you think about it?"

"Oh! I still don't know much about these Rating Games," Ingvild confessed, shuffling in her seat awkwardly, "but it looks interesting!"

"It's such a mind-blowing sport. The rivalries, the incredible showcase of the players, their physics-defying nimbleness, the high strategy of the competition of each team, the ace under the sleeve that can turn the tables…" the pink-haired gushed out, a longing sigh following after, "… and that's just the tip of the iceberg."

"You reminded me of my son for a second," both women glanced over the sofa to see Calcabrina walking around with a basket full of her dirty clothes, "Diehauser. Putting the fancy words aside, that's half the reason why he puts the Rating Games on such a high pedestal."

"I have a strong admiration of your son's career, Lady Belial," Roygun said genuinely, "that's partially the excuse for why I stepped out as the Head of Clan Belphegor and left the Extra Demon Faction for good. To follow in his steps."

"Call me by my name, it's fine," Calcabrina assured her, "and I'm aware. When Malacoda met you the first time, he referred to you as a 'fucking fanboy'."

A half-groan and half-laugh escaped her mouth, "Not my greatest first impression, I swear…" Roygun kneaded her temples. How great it would feel to punch her past in the face.

"Do you also play these games, Miss Roygun?" Ingvild wondered aloud.

Roygun immediately had her face turned to the wall so it was hard to gauge her feelings, but Ingvild did notice her being remarkably quiet.

Immediately, Ingvild covered her mouth with a gasp, "I-I'm sorry!" even if her words came out muffled, it was easy to comprehend, "It was n-never my intention to—!"

"It's fine, you didn't know," Roygun turned back to her with a weak smile, "I played in the highest class of the Rating Games… but I got banned for valid reasons. I'm now paying the consequences of my sins."

"One day you will return!" Ingvild tried to cheer her up through optimism, "I… I bet on it!"

"Thank you, dear," Roygun's smile widened a bit more, "I hope so too."

Even after ending on a positive note, Ingvild still could feel the discomfort lingering in the air. Her eyes darted everywhere until they stopped on the television running in the background. She pointed at it, doing her darn best to change the topic, "Is that a, um, a Sacred… Gear?"

And Roygun was thankful for the effort. Her eyes followed Ingvild's finger and laughed a little, "Nothing to do with Sacred Gears, cutie. That's a television. It's technology."

"T-Tech…" the Half-Devil tilted her head, eyebrows furrowed, "… nology?"

"That's it. Imagine the TV like an open book," Roygun explained whilst lending the remote to the curious purple-haired woman. "But instead of paragraphs and the voice inside your cute head… it's full of moving pictures and sounds."

Ingvild's big eyes expanded like a deer caught in the headlights. She pressed a button subconsciously and watched how the channels switched by her actions, "W-Woah…" she did it again, further amazing her, "it's like a book full of different stories… my parents would've loved having this in our home!"

Averting away from the enraptured Leviathan, Roygun settled on Lady Belial who was adjusting a photo frame on the wall, "It's thanks to you, you know?"

Feeling her gaze, Calcabrina paused her actions to look over her shoulder, "Excuse me?"

"Danhauser gloated how he learned to master the spear and Pitch Resin from you in Kuoh Town," Roygun elaborated, "You even taught him how to handle True Form when you don't have one."

"Credit goes to my brother, Roygun," Calcabrina waved off her praises, "I just watched Malacoda use his True Form during his old games and taught my son a thing or two… anything I recalled from Malacoda's fighting style, really."

"My point still stands. You are selling yourself too short when you and Diehauser played a vital role in Danhauser's development, Calcabrina. You should see his next games and see the results of your efforts," an idea popped in Roygun's head, "I was actually planning on buying some tickets and watch his future matches to get the full experience, want to come—!"

"No."

The Cherry Blossom Devil did a doubletake, "N-No?"

"I'll make this clear to you, Roygun. I taught everything to my children to ensure that they made it out alive," Calcabrina spoke up, "I taught them self-defense to face back the dangers of this world. Not to encourage them in partaking in this kind of blood sports."

"Maybe you should have a word with them if it disturbs you…"

"Oh, they know. I made it clear that I don't approve of it. But they're adults now." Calcabrina shook her head with a sigh, turning back to the photo frame to resume her work, "I can no longer path their life as much as I'd love to, only they can. As a Malebranche, I'm proud to know how far they grew in terms of strength with room for growth. But as a mother… I can't help but worry when they take such ridiculous leaps to achieve anything…"

Their conversation ended once neither voiced their thoughts, knowing full-well that it would only go back and forth between them with no winning side.

But little did they know, a certain purple-haired guest was listening all along.

"… like mom."

.


.

"Let me make sure I'm not hearing things," Danhauser took a long breath, "you went out to reveal to her that you two are relatives in the middle of the game?"

Once that match concluded, they were teleported away from the ring and sent back to their previous room. They could leave already and wait for their next Rating Game that would start in weeks, but preferred to take a rest before retreating. Besides, Danhauser wanted to see his older brother and vice versa.

"Come on, step into my shoes!" Tobio defended himself, "What would you do if you finally met your cousin after years of not knowing one another? Wouldn't you go and say hi to her?"

"I'd do that, but after the game. Like any sane person would."

Slash Dog turned his attention toward his Longinus, petting Jin on the head as the black wolf leaned into his touch appreciatively, "I… just thought that was the perfect time to spill the beans. I dunno."

"Yes, let's tell her we're family first before slashing her in two with a scythe," Valerie spoke flatly, "is this the familial bond I've been yearning for?"

"Seriously," Siegfried sighed, "your order of handling a situation is awful."

"On a brighter note!" Jeanne chimed in, "you met a family member, that's some great news! I bet she's looking forward to getting to know you better!"

"ANYWAYS!" Tobio suddenly pat his master on the shoulder, "Congrats on defeating the Sekiryuutei! I think you have to be at least the first Devil to defeat both Heavenly Dragons in the same era."

"Let's see if I get a plaque to put on my desk in Kuoh," he nodded at his servants, "aside from Tobio, how did the match felt to all of you?"

"A good stretch," Siegfried simply replied.

"It was whatever," Bova grumbled, "that brat with a raging boner over Jeanne's holy swords? He knew how to bark, but not bite."

"At least we put that conflict behind us," Jeanne said, "he learned way too slow, though. I swear, sometimes I feel I'm pulling back my punches…"

"It is what it is," Danhauser comforted her before nodding to his Pawn, "And you?"

"It was great," Valerie's smile widened a bit at the sight of Danhauser's flat look, "Ehehehe… what? I got something on my face?"

"You're smiling," Danhauser noted warily.

"What of it? Is smiling a serious offense punishable by the government of Ars Goetia now?"

"Only if—!"

Everyone felt a chill running down their spines, petrified by the sudden outburst of power that crashed upon them.

"O-Okay," Slash Dog broke the silence, the immense aura still not growing distant—on the contrary. He grew worried when Jin whimpered and hid in his shadow, "That's Satan Lucifer, right? Guys?"

[… You have to retreat.] Valerie's breath jumped at the frantic voice coming within her Longinus. [Now.]

"What?" Valerie said back, surprised.

[Did we stutter?]

"Certainly you did? You did stutter!" she fired back, her glare not averting from the only entrance of the room, "What's wrong, Ba—!"

"Is this the line for autographs~?"

But it was far too late.

Blocking the entrance was an imposing, ten-meter tall elephant with spotless white skin and four, large tusks. Behind its wrinkles, sunken deep into its sockets, being barely visible at most times and giving the impression that it had no eyes at all, were his ruby-colored orbs—judging them with its glare.

Despite the towering size of the animal, what made Danhauser's heart race was the man sitting leg-crossed and arms folded atop the elephant's bare head. The divine aura that exuded from his body drowned the whole room—not even Crom Cruach had this atmosphere of superiority surrounding his frame.

It belonged to a God.

His greenish-brown hair was a buzz-cut hairstyle and his eyes behind circular sunglasses. He had a green tank top underneath his open aloha shirt and wore yellow swim trunks and sandals.

By his appearance alone, he looked like he came from dipping his feet on the beach or missed out on a cruise ship.

The elephant nor its rider were by themselves. They were accompanied by a beige-colored monkey Youkai who was perhaps shorter than Tobio or even Ravel. He wore a monk's cassock and some futuristic-like sunglasses. He sat comfortably on a floating, golden cloud while taking a drag from his antique pipe. His other hand was occupied by a staff that was an exact copy of Bikou's.

"Sun Wukong," he heard Tobio whispering out in awe, "The Great Sage Equaling Heaven… it's him…!"

"Oh?" the god scanned the whole area, "Are my eyes deceiving me, or are we first in line, Wukong?"

The Buddha casually took the pipe out of his mouth, expelling all the smoke refuging in his lungs, "Yeah. It looks like it, Lord Śakra."

Danhauser paled like a ghost.

"HAHAHA! We showed up at the right time then!" Indra laughed aloud, "We have the whole peerage that surpasses common sense for ourselves! This day couldn't get any better~!" he regarded each face carefully, "Let's see here… a Pure Devil, a Dragon, a Dhampir, a former Saint, a Hero… "Descendant" and a Grigori Agent. Well, if the Rating Game career doesn't seem to work out for the lot of you, you could always run a circus."

None of the Belial Team dared to speak up.

"My, my. What is it now? Everyone went quiet so suddenly," the King of Heaven snickered, "so weird. Each of you was speaking your hearts out to your opponents during the Rating Games. What changed that now, I wonder?"

"…"

"Speaking of such. That whole practice of the Rating Games is adorably amusing," the God of War continued, "it's like watching a bunch of shitty brats fighting about who made the largest sandcastle in kindergarten."

Sun Wukong finally spoke up, "I don't think we're here to start smack talks, Lord Śakra."

"Oh, please. It's all friendly banter, Wukong! Everyone here can take a jab or two," Indra retorted, "but being the Chief-God of the Hindu Faction comes with a tight schedule nowadays. So, I'll get my point across," he cleared his throat. "I, Heaven, am here to congratulate each of you in their game. Each peerage gave their best, but only one was destined to win."

Danhauser felt a tug on his sleeve—it was Jeanne, "W-Who's Śakra?!" she hissed as lowly as she could, desperate for an answer.

But the gray-haired was out of words.

"I, Heaven, am feeling generous today. As a reward for winning and amusing me, Heaven shall share a brief, exchange of words with each one of you. Remember that kindness," the Deva first started with Tobio, his amusement symbolized by a smirk. "Of all your teammates, you have the most ridiculous weapon, a scythe. Are you planning on murdering fields of wheat, Himejima Tobio?"

"… It's Ikuse," the brunet corrected him through his gritted teeth, "My name is Ikuse Tobio—not Himejima. That's how I was born."

"Oh? How scary. The dog is baring his teeth at me," Indra sneered, "Does the grandson really know everything about her grandmother, or has she kept her skeletons well buried inside the closet?"

Tobio felt his blood turn cold, "What…? How do you know my…?"

But Indra had enough of him as he faced his next prey—Valerie. "A half-vampire is only half-interesting, Little Missus."

The Dhampir's jaw tightened, holding his gaze as best as she could.

"Inside the Holy Chalice—somewhere in the Secluded World—strange, nightmarish creatures lurk in the depths, all dangerous battle maniacs that want to destroy everything including themselves. You're playing with fire by simply contacting the worst amongst them… It's listening to us right now, isn't it?"

"…"

It was Bova's turn, "I've met the rest of your kind. Nothing impressive to say the least." He found his snarl cute. "Fight with honor, die in glory. Isn't that right, Little Star?"

Jeanne's breath hitched once the deity turned to her, "Yours and Joan's name embody the same meaning," he pointed out, "Typical subpar, human intelligence."

She winced.

"Riddle me this, little lamb: She was oppressed yet when she was afflicted, she opened not her mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before her shearers, so she did not open her mouth. What am I?"

The blonde gasped lightly, "That's from the Bible," she mumbled out, "Why are you…?"

"Who knows? Maybe I invested myself in your former religion," he looked over the silver-haired man, who maintained his face behind a stoic mask, "It is true what they say. Never meet your heroes, because they're sure to disappoint you. Like Jeanne over here… you sure have forgotten your Dharma, Chaos-Edge Sieg. Are you even aware of your true anatomy and past? Surely, this can be worthy of your time, as cliché as the result may seem."

At long last, Danhauser was next on the chopping block. Indra's smug expression dropped to a full-blown scowl was already a bad sign, "Ah, yes. You. The adrenaline junkie."

The Emperor of Heaven lifted his sunglasses to his temple to glare at the gray-haired—his lavender eyes putting Danhauser on the edge. Indra's eyes stood out. Aside from its unique color pattern, he could barely identify something literally crackling in the deity's irises, moving and shifting like it was just waiting to break out. A thunderstorm. And to make it worse, Sun Wukong was also watching him with wary eyes.

A smirk. The furrowed brows and puckered forehead were overthrown by a triumphant smile and a glint of realization, "Of all living creatures on this globe… of all variants of mediocrity in this planet… it befell to a Devil?" the god couldn't help but chuckle, "Really now?"

Danhauser swallowed the invisible lump blocking his throat in return. The thought of standing before someone amongst the Top 5 was too much. In fact, sitting atop a gigantic elephant only made him more imposing.

"Let's play a guessing game, Wukong," Indra invited the silent Buddha to partake, not looking away from the Devil, "I spy with my little eye, something beginning with… third eye."

The former Daiyoukai hummed thoughtfully, tapping the tip of his pipe on his chin, "I spy a lotus."

It was Danhauser's turn to look puzzled. He looked over his shoulder and his gaze laid over Slash Dog who just offered a shrug.

"I confess, there is no meaning to my presence here. I could've disregarded this place and instead traveled to the meeting organized by Satan Lucifer. It is selfishness and curiosity that brought me here—nothing more. I simply wanted to witness with my own eyes the pain in the ass that you will become in the future, to gain some measure of understanding of who you are," Indra paused momentarily, building the tension, "A Devil that knows good but will commit evil, and allows evil while being good. A wildcard, one thrust into destiny by fortune rather than fate. Your enlightenment lies upon your spirit, yet it is your choice that will define your path; whether you follow, lead, or abandon it. You are no chosen one, but one who chooses."

Despite his nervousness, Danhauser managed to frown, trying to decipher his cryptic speech and ultimately failing, "… Is there a translation of that for normal people?"

"Not very insightful, are you?" Śakra let his sunglasses drop back to the bridge of his nose, "You have Enlightenment, Danny-boy. The key to breaking the limits of the body."

"Break the limits of the body…? Then that means…!"

"A Deva will see the third eye on an Enlightened One. A Buddha a lotus," Sun Wukong added, "Senjutsu practitioners will be able to detect it as well, by sending large amounts of ki into their eyesight. One day they could spot a third eye, the next day it might be a lotus eye instead."

"But enough of that," Indra did a lazy gesture with his hand, "we came here to sate our thirst of curiosity, not to play tea party with a group of obnoxious brats. We have nothing else to do here."

"Wait!" he almost forgot the existence of the massive elephant as he foolishly moved forward, immediately regretting it once the red eyes of the beast bored into his. He made sure to not push his luck any further by remaining still, "What… what should I do now? What is the—!"

"I fail to understand how that is my problem," Indra cut him off.

"Then why tell me all… this?" Danhauser did a gesture with his hands to signal, "Why feed me with this information in our first time meeting? Out of blue?"

He somewhat knew why—because he fucking could. He was one of the strongest gods to walk this world, he could get away with pretty much anything and only get a slap on the wrist as a consequence.

And yet, he couldn't help but hear it coming from his mouth. Almost begging for a death wish for pushing the buttons of a god from the Hindu Pantheon.

"Do not abuse the generosity of a King, brat. I am God of Heaven—not a God of Encyclopedias that will clear all your doubts. I threw you a bone only out of amusement and pity," Indra pointed out, "If you want a complex explanation of Enlightenment then search for a Guru. They will solve your newfound internal crisis."

As Danhauser's shoulders slumped in failure, he took a sharp intake of breath.

"Do not let your Enlightenment get to your head, Danny-boy. If you become an enemy of Svargaloka and Mount Meru, your annihilation will be sung for generations to come—only thanks to your proximity to me, naturally," he paused briefly, "You have concealed information of big characters that only a limited number of people have access to it—I know this."

The heir took a sharp intake of breath.

"You'll hear from us in the future—expect us. I wish I could say it was a pleasure, but we both know that'd be a lie," Danhauser watched silently as Indra nudged his mount with his feet, "Airavata, it's time."

He expected a magic circle with a foreign pattern to bloom below the deities, but instead, it was an ancient-looking gate with a swirling portal in the middle. The deities walked through it without hesitation and disappeared along with their teleportation device.

Just as the monstrous showcase of divine power scattered into thin air, everyone found room to breathe properly.

"Well, shit," Bova broke the silence.

"Our first meeting with a god and it goes downhill," Tobio chuckled nervously, "today isn't a good day, is it?"

"What just happened," Jeanne asked the question that was on everyone's minds. "Who was that?"

"In the eyes of the Church—a Pagan God," Siegfried answered grimly.

"Someone who could beat the living shit out of us if we get on his bad side," Danhauser kneaded his eyes, steadily ingesting everything that'd happened at his own pace.

"Whoa, language," Tobio said.

Danhauser doubted they could win against him—even if he used his Belial Form and all Sacred Gear users on his team had Balance Breaker active.

So unlucky.

"But… who is he?" the Frenchwoman asked again, mildly annoyed by the lack of answers, "all I want is a name!"

"A god amongst the Top 5 Strongest Beings in the World," the heir responded after retracting his fingers from his gray orbs, "The Emperor of Heaven—Indra."

.


.

Somewhere, in the Underworld—away from Ars Goetia—a lone figure walked in an endless-looking hall.

The candles on the walls did an awful job to illuminate the corridor—thankfully the lack of light didn't pose any challenge when all Sirzechs had to do was walk in a straight line.

All by himself—not even his wife stood by his side. The silver-haired woman had taken on another important task.

The Super Devil stared at the knob so hard his mind almost conjured a glow to please him, but he wouldn't let it—his night vision already did wonders. Tonight he had to stay in reality—for the world—not depart into the fantasy life that demanded his attention at all the worst moments.

A door away to possibly change the world—to shake its very foundations.

Just as he pushed the twin doors, all eyes were drawn upon him.

Michael and Azazel were there— leaders of Heaven and Grigori respectively.

The High Priestess of the Sun—Yasaka—answered the invitation as well. To become the eyes and ears of the Youkai Kyoto and Shinto Faction.

The One-Eyed God that sees all the realms of Yggdrasil upon his high throne—Odin.

The god from Svargaloka sitting upon a majestic elephant—Indra.

The Skeleton God that ruled the Realm of the Dead with an iron fist—Hades.

And lastly, the god hailing from Celtic grounds and representing the Tuath Dé—Lugh.

Satisfied by the numbers of participants, Sirzechs at long last spoke with hands raised in a welcoming manner, "Leaders and representatives of their pantheons... everyone... thank you for coming. Let us begin."

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JW: Ajuka is the type to not care how much he's left hung, he's way too occupied in his hobbies to even care. And don't ya worry, Ravel will eventually show up! I'll make up for it for the lack of attention I've been giving her! Nah, Malacoda doesn't have multiple wings. The Malebranche Clan is like Mephisto Pheles, he's not born from Lilith, and yet, doesn't have multiple wings; that's only exclusive for those with Satan Bloodline. As a Fate Fan too, I'm only gay for Cu Chulainn and his Gae Bolg, so can't relate to your feelings. Like Ravel, I'll write content for Latia in the future too. New peerage members are gonna take a while but when the time comes, he'll get like two servants on the very same day.

Guest: Never

Guest: I mean, it's not downright necessary to have a familiar. It's preferable between Devilkin since familiars can help in easing some burden from their master's shoulders. Of course, if a Devil has as a familiar of the same category as Tiamat, or even her, it will give that Devil some recognition for taming/recruiting a legendary creature written in myths.

Guest: Hey, don't be sad! What matters right now is the present, which means that I'll keep uploading chapters. I made a promise this fic will be under the category of "completed" because I've finished it, not because I've abandoned it. I'm not backing away from my promise. Thanks for the kind words by the way!

Guest: Con mucho gusto!

DeepDuckDoom: TRUE!

Guest: I don't remember ever saying Latia is younger than Rias tho. At must, I only mentioned that they both have similar body proportions and that's it. If I did say something about the age gap, then I'm sorry. Wasn't my intention.

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Yo, yo. I have bad news. This fic isn't dead. Just half-dead.

People may dislike a chapter for a reason, I won't mention it, but wait and see it happen.

We all knew the outcome of Gremory vs Belial, so there's no much to address here.

The Enlightenment thingy will be explained later on, eventually.

Yes, Airavata has more heads, trunks, and tusks. I'll leave it like that, every time I tried to imagine the elephant god with so many heads... it becomes difficult for me which is weird since I can easily imagine Azi Dahaka, a three-headed dragon, or Yamata no Orochi, a fucking eight-headed dragon. Weird. Maybe because it has a lot of tusks and trunks? Dunno. Maybe I'll make have three heads when it's in a "true form" of sorts. We'll see.

Next chapter will be fun to write, I feel like a lot of people will love it... if I play my cards right, of course.

See you later, love you all!

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Life.14: Miracles Do Happen